EVERYTHING
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FEATURE OCTOBER 2006 10 things you really should do TODAY Raising healthy and happy children is a common goal among parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Tending to the obvious safety and health aspects of raising a child such as annual physicals, vitamins and balanced meals are ritualistic functions for many parents. While your family’s health and safety is your instinctive priority, there are a few less obvious areas that most families might be able to improve upon. These subtle differences will be beneficial and promote positive habits for your children to emulate. Cover up: The news that the cleanest of households may be harboring unwelcome dust mites and allergens is unsettling for many parents. According to the Ohio State University Department of Entomology, you can reduce the amount of dust mites, allergens and asthma triggers your family encounters while sleeping or lounging in bed. Purchase dust mite protectors for all the pillows on your beds, and enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic mattress cover. Thoroughly vacuum the mattress, pillows, and the base of the bed. Replace feather and down pillows with pillows filled with synthetic fillings, wool blankets with nylon or cotton cellulose ones and frequently damp dust the plastic mattress cover. Wash all bedding weekly (blankets, mattress pads and comforters) in hot water (130 degrees). Washing the curtains and blinds in the bedroom adds another layer of dust mite protection. Put a lid on it: The ancient practice of Feng Shui teaches that toilet lids should always remain closed to prevent wasting, losing or “flushing” of your money. Flushing the toilet with the cover closed offers more than the ritualistic beliefs that you’ll pad your financial nest egg. Did you know that airborne germs, bacteria and particles or “spiraling toilet ‘aerosol’” are often cast into the air with every flush of the toilet? This is particularly important because many children have a habit of watching the spiraling toilet water until it disappears. In 1975, Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor at the University of Arizona and a specialist in environmental microbiology, published a scientific article describing bacterial and viral aerosols due to toilet flushing. The article ominously depicts Dr. Gerba’s findings that significant amounts of virus, bacteria, and microbes float around the bathroom for at least two hours after each flush. You can reduce your family’s exposure to these germs by using bleach tablets in your toilet bowl, closing the lid prior to flushing and putting your toothbrush back in the medicine cabinet after each use. Tune out: Tuning into each other’s lives and interests promotes healthy communication, higher self-esteem and a lower chance of children using alcohol or illegal substances. Turn off the television, video games and cell phones regularly to make time to tune into each other. Healthy and productive communication keeps everyone informed and vested in each other’s lives. Drying times: Many items come out of the dishwasher damp or wet. Molds can be found almost anywhere and grow on virtually any substance where moisture is present. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are types of molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods. Taking a few extra minutes to wipe dry all items that come out of the dishwasher reduces the chance the microscopic molds will grow in your cabinets. It also provides the ideal chance to enlist the services of your children and share a conversation. Dust off the bunnies: Dusting the tables and vacuuming the hallway are part of most household routines, but what about the top of doorframes, baseboards behind the bed, the top of the refrigerator and the blades of the ceiling fans? Cleaning out clutter from under your beds, the back of your closets and away from the furnace reduces the dust and mites in your home as well as the risk of fire or excessive clutter. Filter out germs and dirt: Cleaning the vent cover on the bottom of the refrigerator or routinely having your furnace checked and maintained reduces more than yearly utility costs. Consistently changing the filters on your vacuums and emptying the de-humidifier are additional examples of dust and germs collection sites that may be overlooked. The laundry room is one of the places in the average home with one of the highest concentration of bacteria and fecal matter due to the collection of underwear. Counter the germs when doing laundry and make underwear your last load. Don’t put colored underwear with other colored items and use chlorine bleach to clean both the clothes and your washing machine. Sponges belong in the sea, NOT the sink: Dr. Gerba’s research also determined kitchen sponges or dishcloths were ideal for fecal coliform bacteria from raw meat to fester in the damp, germ-nurturing environment. Research conducted by the Food and Drug Administration concluded 50-80% of all food-borne illnesses originate in the home, and home contamination is blamed for 20% of food-poisoning cases. The FDA also reminds that countertops, appliances and faucet handles should be sanitized two or three times a week, and toilets, tubs and showers once a week. Wipe down sinks and drains each day with a disposable or washable rag and cleanser containing chlorine bleach to knock out 99.9% of fecal organisms and the food-borne pathogens that cause 6.5 million cases of gastroenteritis and 9,000 deaths per year. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables to avoid transferring germs from one to the other. Throw cutting boards, kitchen sponges, and dishcloths in the dishwasher or washing machine after use or soak them for five minutes in a sink full of water containing a cup of bleach. A safe house is a healthy house: Check the batteries in all your smoke detectors, make sure you have a certified and working fire extinguisher, and that all poisonous or dangerous items are secured away from your child’s reach. Because of the eclectic gathering of items stored in the garage or basement, be sure that all harmful or dangerous items and tools are properly secured and away from the reach of children. Secured fasteners and hooks can prevent accidents or injuries in areas where children play around tools and equipment. Your mobile home: Scraps of paper, crumbs and wrappings of lunches eaten on the run and remnants from the prior sports season often linger under the seats and floor mats of the family vehicle. These items can become lodged under the pedals of the car, launched in an attack on a sibling or accidentally ingested by young children. If your children are intent on traveling with a few favorite items, books or craft supplies, purchase inexpensive mesh totes to hang on the back of the seat or slim plastic containers to slide under the seat. Rethink re-hydration: Refrigerators filled with juice boxes, pouches and sodas, coupled with countless cups of caffeinated beverages served daily do not promote healthy hydration for your family’s busy bodies. The current recommendation for proper water consumption is eight, 8-ounce glasses daily. Drink water first and foremost, and give more to the active child. Gina Roberts-Grey is a mom and contributor to numerous parenting publications. |
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