I can vividly remember my sister running to my mom screaming, “John keeps picking on me! He won’t leave me alone!”

“Mary, just ignore him. He’ll leave you alone if you just ignore him.”

Pshh. That’s not quite how being an older brother works.

Now that we’re all adults, our relationships with one another have balanced. None of us have the upper hand, and the teasing and taunting are more or less non-existent. Unfortunately, a recent study published in Pediatrics has me wondering if my actions as a child may have left a long-term, negative impact on any of my siblings.

We know that bullying amongst peers can have detrimental physical and psychological effects, but it’s always been assumed that similar actions amongst siblings was just part of growing up. It turns out that bullying amongst siblings can actually have a very profound impact on the development of the victim.

An article in today’s copy of the New York Times provides a nice outline of some of the new research as well as some shocking statistics. For example, sibling violence is four to five times as frequent as spousal or parental child abuse! I can’t believe that. Additionally, more than one third of the children studied by the researchers reported being victimized by a sibling in the previous year. These kids, on average, scored higher on measures of anxiety, depression and anger.

Bullying by siblings can be more detrimental than traditional peer bullying because it occurs in the one place a child should feel safe. With constant access to the internet, kids are now engaging in cyber bullying, which means safe spaces are becoming increasingly harder to find. Just as we’ve encouraged teachers, coaches, camp counselors and child care providers to make an effort to reduce the impact of bullying, we now encourage parents to do the same. Continue to do everything you can to make your home a safe place for your kids.

Let’s put an end to bullying.

West Bend’s concern with slow cookers started in 2007. Between 2007 and 2011, we received five separate notices from child care centers indicating that infants had been severely burned by scalding hot liquid. In each instance, the infant tugged at the cord of a slow cooker being used to warm baby bottles which caused the slow cooker full of water to cover their body. As you can see in this very graphic photo, these injuries are devastating.

Ever since we received the first notice in July, 2007, we’ve been working to remove this hazard from child care centers. We sent cautionary fliers to each one of the 7,000 child care centers we work with, we published safety articles here on CultureOfSafety.com, we reached out to state childcare regulatory agencies, and we even created an online awareness campaign to get parents and providers to change their habits. None of these effectively reduced the exposure.

After all, even if every child care provider in the country removed slow cookers from their centers, the threat of being burned would still exist in homes, churches and community centers. Every potluck or picnic with a slow cooker could be the site of a life-changing incident. Think about your plans for the not-too-distant 4th of July weekend. How many slow cookers full of nacho cheese sauce, baked beans, and chili are going to be strung together in high-traffic areas? If your holiday is anything like mine… a lot.

After receiving Senator Baldwin’s request, the CPSC initiated an in-depth review and identified at least 4,900 occurrences of slow cooker burns between 2002 and 2011. And just as our experience suggests, it was also determined that the large majority of these cases involved children younger than five years old.

At this point, the Consumer Product Safety Commission intends to work with Underwriter Laboratories, a voluntary standards development organization, to initiate conversations about updating the safety standards for slow cookers. We’re hopeful that Senator Baldwin’s efforts have kickstarted the process of mandating magnetic breakaway cords on all slow cookers. For the first time ever, parents and child care providers may be able to relax whenever children are in the proximity of slow cookers.

On behalf of everyone at West Bend, thank you Senator Tammy Baldwin!

If you enjoyed the story behind Resusci Anne, the CPR training doll, I’m positive you’ll enjoy this 25-minute podcast from Radio Lab. This story really has it all: science, drama, mystery… even a moment or two that might cause you to choke up a bit – no pun intended.

I better stop before I start giving away too many details. Enjoy.

More information available on RadioLab.org

Tennessee Teachers Didn’t Report Abusive First Grader

If convicted, the these women – all mandatory reporters under the law – will be serving a relatively light punishment as some states have penalties that include five years in prison, fines reaching $10,000, and even the possibility of assuming civil liability. The penalties imposed for failing to report child abuse vary widely based on state, but as long as you report any suspected abuse to authorities or a trusted supervisor you should be in the clear. You can visit ChildWelfare.gov to get more info about the mandatory child abuse reporting laws in your state as well as possible penalties.

Child abuse prevention is a chief concern among individuals who work with children, but the focus is placed primarily on recognizing abuse. Abuse recognition is important, but knowing what to do once you suspect child abuse is occurring is equally important. Reporting abuse is the only way to start the process of identifying the abuser and preventing further abuse. Do you know what to do and who to report to if you suspect a child is being abused? If you aren’t sure of the specific steps to take at your organization, ask a supervisor, executive or HR associate right away.

Chel Buttchen, the Childcare Underwriting Supervisor at West Bend, says there is a wide range in cost for a child care insurance policy, but the large majority of West Bend customers with small in-home daycares pay between $250-$500 for business insurance each year. Larger commercial child care centers that lease space will pay closer to $2,000 a year for business insurance coverage. These estimates include the cost of optional abuse and molestation insurance coverage. It’s important to note that these numbers are highly variable, however, because insurance premiums are dictated by the exposures a center faces. For example, a child care center that arranges rides before and after school, has a play area with a wading pool, has a dog on premises, or has extended hours of operation will be priced differently than a center without these exposures. The number of children a center is licensed to care for is also another important consideration when determining insurance pricing.

If you’re trying to keep premiums lower, you can consider carrying a higher deductible. It’s important, however, to not carry a deductible you’re unable to afford if you have a claim. A knowledgeable independent insurance agent who understands your business will be able to help determine what deductible is right for you and which coverages and exclusions you should be aware of. In addition to your agent, the checklist provided at the bottom of this resource by the National Network for Child Care can help you make sure you’re asking the right questions to get you the coverage you’ll need.

Did you know many automobile injuries are actually caused by objects from within your car? During the past year, we had a customer slam on their brakes to avoid a collision, only to have a piece of equipment from the back seat catapult to the front and smash their car’s console and navigation system. Fortunately, our customer was not injured.

Having been in an accident where I was hit by a semi many years ago, I distinctly recall my cell phone and leather bound notebook ricocheting off my windshield and then into the cargo area of my Chevy Blazer. All the loose items that were in the back ended up in the front and all the items in the front ended up in the back. I, too, was fortunate to have not been hit by anything.

A gentleman from Mequon, Wisconsin, and a young child from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, were each injured in separate accidents by booster seats that were not fastened down. In each situation, the empty booster seats flew through the air and struck the individuals in the head and face causing injuries that required surgery. I encourage you to read more about how these booster seats injured the car passengers.

After reading the article, I also decided to talk to several friends with children and found that not a single one had ever thought of fastening or removing a booster seat from their car when their children were not using it.

Consider this during an accident: a 20 pound unsecured object can fly through the air with 1,000 pounds of force. Loose objects in a moving vehicle are responsible for an estimated 13,000 injuries a year. Take a moment to think about other items that you may have in your car — computers, tablets, GPS devices, pets, crates, tool boxes, suitcases, sports equipment, books, storage bins etc. Many of us tend to live out of our vehicles, planning our daily route each morning and loading up the kids or what we will need to make it through the day.

When traveling in a vehicle what can you do to protect yourself?

Consider the following tips:

• Pack most items in a trunk or cargo area of your vehicle. This makes items less likely to intrude into the passenger compartment during an accident.
• If your vehicle has a cargo area instead of a trunk, utilize cargo nets, anchors and tethers.
• Large items that need to be in inside the vehicle should be placed to make sure that the maximum amount of surface area makes contact with the backseats and positioned in such a manner that would prevent movement or shifting.
• If you have booster seats in your vehicle make sure to properly fasten or remove them from the vehicle when not in use. Make sure to read the instructions, and if you are getting a handed down seat from a relative make sure to ask them for a copy of the instructions.
• Leave objects at home that you don’t need for your trip.
• Use the glove compartment to store personal items such as cell phones, sunglasses, or electronic devices.

In society where people are in a hurry to get from point A to point B, taking an extra moment to look around your vehicle and make sure your items are secure can make the difference. In an accident, you could potentially walk away and lessen the potential for injury, or you could expose you, your children or your passengers to the possibility of suffering from a preventable injury. Please, take the time to check and improve the safety of your vehilce.

Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, aged 19, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy when he was only eight years old. He took all of the common peanut allergy precautions and had carefully avoided nuts, checked labels, questioned restaurant staff, and carried all necessary medications his whole life. A brief lapse in the careful monitoring of his allergy, however, led to a series of events that ultimately claimed his life.

Cameron, while out with his college-aged friends, picked up some cookies. After a friend ate one and told him, he did not taste any peanuts Cameron decided to try one. Within minutes, he was home and began experiencing severe breathing problems. She immediately called 911 and requested help. His mother was unable to find his Epi-Pen and the one she kept was expired. Luckily, their neighbor had an Epi-Pen and they administered it as soon as possible. After arriving at the hospital, CPR was performed, but it was too late and Cameron’s young life was cut tragically short.

No matter what kind of allergy you have, it is critical to do everything you can to avoid exposure to potential triggers. Had Cameron read the label on the cookie package, he most likely would have seen that it was produced with peanut oil and could have avoided it. Always have access to treatment for your allergy. If you’re responsible for administering medication to children always make sure it hasn’t expired and ensure that there hasn’t been a recall by the medicine manufacturers. These few seemingly simple lapses in the management of his allergy could have prevented this terrible tragedy from ever happening.

In hopes of answering as many of your questions as possible, we’re going to start posting a monthly Ask the Experts feature designed to answer the most interesting questions from the previous month. Take a look below at our first batch of questions from February 2013. If you have a question that you’d like our safety experts to tackle, leave a comment at the end of this post or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

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What can I do to make a diaper changing table safer?

Which of these 3 tables looks the safest to you?

None of these diaper changing tables are perfect… and here’s why:

1. The storage available underneath the table is a plus because it helps you keep baby changing supplies within reach. However, the wheels at the bottom, while convenient, can be a potential hazard because they also make the table unstable. If your changing table has wheels, you may want to remove them, or, at the very least, be sure they are securely locked before you begin changing the baby.
2. The heavy wood makes this table very sturdy, and, like the first example, it has plenty of storage space. The downside to this one is the surface where the baby lies. Ideally, the changing pad should be recessed and/or slightly concave to reduce the likelihood of a child being able to roll off the table.
3. This table has a recessed surface and guardrails which can keep babies from falling to the floor. It still leaves room for improvement though. Safety straps incorporated into the table can help keep the child still. As children get older you might also consider installing steps leading up to the changing surface to make the diaper changing table safer for adults. Back injuries are common among parents and childcare providers who have to lift heavier children up throughout the day. Steps can offer some relief.

In the market for a new changing table? Consumer Reports has a great changing table buying guide.

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Are social networks encouraging cyberbullying?

The popularity of social networks among teens and adults alike has provided the means for us all to be connected to one another more than ever before. The best in us would like to think of these websites as tools to stay in touch with family and meet new friends, but with 32% of teens reporting they’ve been the victim of cyberbullying at some point, it’s hard to ignore that more than a few are using them for darker purposes.

Researchers on the topic suspect the frequency and cruelty associated with cyberbullying stems from the anonymity that the internet and social networks offer. With traditional bullying, the bully and the victim have to meet face-to-face. This allows the children being bullied to try and avoid it. This isn’t the case with cyberbullying which makes it much easier to do and harder to escape. If social networks don’t encourage cyberbullying they seem to do very little, if anything, to discourage it.

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Can oily rags burst into flames without a spark?

Given the right combination of circumstances, yes, oily rags can catch fire without a spark. Oils left out in the open tend to absorb or gain oxygen from the air around them through a process called oxidation. This process creates heat that can be trapped by the rag holding the oil. If enough heat is allowed to build up and the oil on the rag reaches its autoignition temperature, it can and will start a fire. The autoignition temperature of an oily rag or oil-soaked paper is around 200° F. If you want to reduce the risk of oily rags in your home or business from catching fire you should keep them in well-ventilated areas where heat is unable to build up and never put them in a dyer on a high heat setting.

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As a child care provider, what are some ways I can reduce my stress?

A study conducted by Stanford University concluded that the occupational stress experienced in child care centers could affect the quality of care the providers were able to offer. Knowing this, it is all the more important to effectively manage your stress as a child care provider. Many say their stress arises from tension with children’s parents, coworkers, noise, limited resources at the center, or the stress of the children themselves. The ChildCare Education Institute offers these coping strategies for the kinds of stress common to childcare providers:

• Get good nutrition and maintaining a regular exercise program. In other words, take care of yourself! The healthier you are, the more able you are to deal with stressful situations in all areas of your life.
• Use calming breathing techniques in moments of stress (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts).
• Take short breaks throughout the day to calm and collect yourself.
• Plan engaging, sensory experiences for children to calm them and in turn your work environment.

It’s also important to communicate your feelings of stress to your manager or others who are in a position to help you manage it.

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What should I do if someone is having an asthma attack and they don’t have their inhaler?

First, determine if the asthma attack is severe. Severe asthma attacks symptoms include rapid breathing, difficulty talking, anxiety, and a pale face with blue lips or fingers. If the attack is severe, call 911 first! When in doubt, call 911, especially if the person is elderly or a young child. Once help is on the way you can do the following:

• If possible, move them to a warm or humid area. Cold can sometimes trigger asthma attacks.
• Have them sit up and lean slightly forward. This reduces pressure on the diaphragm. Don’t let them lie down.
• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Have them drink some coffee or tea. The caffeine in them has been found to help relieve asthma attacks.
• Try to calm them. Not being able to take a breath can be very frightening and panic can exacerbate the attack.
• Antihistamines can help, particularly if the attack was brought on by an allergen.
• Ask questions like Do you think your asthma attack was triggered by an allergy? rather than Why do you think you’re having an attack? In the case of a more severe episode it may be difficult to speak. Yes/No questions allow them to communicate by nodding instead of talking.

Can I get burned by putting my hand under hot tap water?

Yes, hot tap water can burn you if you haven’t taken the necessary steps to prevent it. Both gas and electric hot water heaters allow you to adjust the maximum water temperature. On average, the “High” setting heats water to 140-150F, while the “Warm” setting typically reaches 90-110F. The EPA and many manufacturers recommend setting it at 120F to prevent scalding.

The chart below shows how long it takes water a certain temperature to burn an adult. Keep in mind that children and the elderly can be burned more quickly than adults.

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In that time, she’s worked with hundreds of child care providers, and she prides herself on only working with centers that she would send her own children to. In this short video clip she discusses the three major red flags she looks for when walking through a new center. If you’re a parent looking at a new daycare, or have concerns about the center your child is already enrolled in, these tips could make a world of difference.

As more and more details surrounding the massacre come in to focus, we will inevitably start a national conversation on topics ranging from gun control to mental health to school safety. These are big, complex, and divisive conversations that may divide families, communities and the nation as a whole.

Before we get lost in these very important debates, it’s crucial that we take a step back and consider the impact these difficult-to-understand events have on children. If adults are struggling to comprehend the violence that occurred in Newtown, how can we possibly expect children to make sense of things? Because so many of our readers are parents, teachers, child care providers and child safety advocates, we wanted to try and provide some level of support in dealing with these difficult topics.

Because I am not trained in counseling parents and teachers how to address these difficult issues with children, I chose to gather advice from experts that I think might be helpful if you’re looking for a place to start.

A Strong Case for Starting the Conversation

You may be on the fence about whether or not to discuss the Sandy Hook shooting at all. In the past, when we’ve discussed topics like the choking “game”, we often hear parents and teachers say something like, “Well what if they didn’t know about it yet, and I’m the one that put the idea in their head?” This reaction is understandable; no one wants to be responsible for instilling fear into a child’s mind.

I really like the case made by Cheri Lovre in Talking to Your Students Following the Sandy Hook School Shooting (PDF):

If we don’t bring it up, we don’t know what our students do or don’t know. They ride the bus together, they walk to school, they’re on the playground together and see one another at outside events. Even if their parents haven’t told them about this event, there is always the possibility – or the likelihood – that other students have. When the students are only talking about it amongst themselves, we have no opportunity to help them process the event. Kids make up stories to fill in the blanks, and with events such as these, those can become huge stories.

Especially when something is out-of-the-ordinary, our students are often very “loyal” to our unspoken messages. So if we don’t bring it up, they have to make up reasons why that might be. Some may think that our not bringing it up means we don’t think it is important. Some may have parents or others in their lives that never talk about difficult issues, so they’ve grown to expect that, when times are tough, they’re on their own. Yet other students may assume we’re not bringing it up because we are too overwhelmed to provide them support, so we’re hoping they’ll stay quiet. Kids are kids… they make up stories to fill in the blanks.

Tell the Truth

When choosing to have a difficult conversation with a child the number one rule is to never lie. Regardless of the child’s age, it is important that your responses are always sincere and truthful. Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, a pediatrician and health journalist says in Should You Tell Your Kids About Newtown?:

If they come home and ask you about it, no matter what age they are, tell them the truth. If they’re 4 or 6 or 8 and they ask ‘was there a school shooting and did people die?’ Your answer has to be yes.

Cheri Lovre adds to that advice and says:

Always tell the truth. How much you say and how much detail you give is open to judgment, but don’t tell lies. Better to say, “I’m not sure what to say to that…” or “Let me think on that a little,” than to be dishonest.

Choose developmentally appropriate language and detail (less detail the younger the child).

Ask Questions and Listen

This may be the most difficult part of having a conversation with your child about the Sandy Hook shootings or other traumatic events. You need to listen. Avoid the urge to interupt a child or redirect their understanding too quickly. You can’t help a child understand until you know exactly how they’re approaching the issue.

This is fantastic advice from Cheri Lovre directed at teachers, but I think you’ll agree that this advice is wonderful for parents as well.

It is when youth begin to reveal their emotions or reactions that adults often unintentionally cut them off or redirect the conversation. This is when you have to work hard not to meet your own needs. Often, if students say they’re scared, we rush to reassure them that the person who did this is dead. But what we really need to do is to give them the opportunity to go deeper. “Tell me more about that,” is a great way to make room for more exploration. Resist the temptation to give your student your own reassurances YET! There will be time for that.

Other questions that might help them go deeper could be:

• What do you think worries other kids?
• Are there times you’ve been worried about something like this before?
• What are others saying about it?
• Are there other feelings your have besides [whatever feelings they labeled]?

Control the Conversation

Just as a child shouldn’t be receiving their current events lessons from other kids on the playground, it’s never a good idea to let a young child get all of their information from the media. Consider this advice from Parenting.com:

Monitor the media intake for everyone in the family. Even if you only watch CNN when the kids are in bed, there’s the chance they may not be able to get to sleep and can hear the newscaster, the interviews. Coverage of events like this can range from incredibly tactful to incredibly sensational. Be aware of who is watching what around the home, says O’Keeffe. That goes for grown-ups too. “You don’t need to watch the news 24/7,” she adds. “That creates overanxeity in all of us. Resist that temptation. Go about your life. That’s the best thing you can do to honor these people.”

End with a Note of Hope

After you’ve had this difficult conversation it’s important that you end on a note of hope. Reassure the child you’re speaking with that they’re still very safe. Let the child know that you care about them deeply and that you’ll make every effort to protect them.

As hard as it may be, do your best to find the positive outcomes of tragedies like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. For example, communities all across the world are coming together to support one another and those impacted in Newtown.