T.V, is it so bad?

We don't watch too much television in my household. In fact, some days we don't even turn it on at all. But since it has been cold lately, I have let the kids watch it some. My six year old either watches videos, movies, or the Disney (R) channel...that's it. I don't trust what is on other channels, sometimes even the cartoon channels aren't so safe, at least by my values! My son either watches PBS or Elmo (R) videos. Even then, it is for limited amounts of time. Of course, as I am typing this I can just hear him saying "Elmo, Elmo!".

I don't believe that T.V. in and of itself is bad, just when it is in excess and the wrong show! Small children don't need to be watching violent or sexual adult programs in the evening! They also don't need to be watching too much educational television programs. Why? Well, there isn't much socialization, learning to wait, playing, gross motor activity going on during the average T.V. program.

But what about if you watch the show with your toddler, repeat simple words, and ask questions? Then, I think it is fine. With preschoolers and elementary age children, they can learn nice facts such as while watching shows about animals. Some of them also need time to relax after a long day of school. But of course, that doesn't mean sitting at the television for 3 hours in the evening!

Some videos geared toward infants and toddlers claim to "make your baby smarter", but I think that has never been proven, and in fact one big company was forced by the courts to reimburse people for their money if they so wish, because it wasn't able to prove it help children get any smarter! There are some baby videos I like more than others. For example, Brainy Baby (R) does a better job over some other popular companies. Why? Because their videos tend to say words more often, not just music. One video I have in Spanish from Brainy Baby (R) shows a picture of various dogs and says "perro" over 6 times, whereas some other brands may only say "dog" or "perro" once. So, the point is to stimulate the language center of the brain. You may want to sit next to the child, and also say "dog", then show a picture in a book of a dog or have a toy dog nearby. This way it is more interactive, which makes learning more likely to occur.

When going into homes as an occupational therapist, I get to see many families' routines, including television watching habits. If the mom is constantly watching her T.V. programs during the day, she is less likely to be speaking to her child. Some families have the T.V. on all day, and may even eat meals while watching it. This has actually been proven with research for people to over eat and make poorer food choices, because they aren't focused on when their bodies tell them they aref a full, instead they are distracted. This coupled with less activity is a recipe for childhood (and adult) obesity! Also, I shouldn't be having to encourage a family to reduce their T.V. watching down from 8 hours a day, especially when the child's language and social skills are severely delayed such as with autism.

So, I think T.V is fine as long as it is not the "babysitter" and is in small increments of time. And for toddlers, I approve of T.V. when it is more interactive.

Separation Anxiety

Although I know that separation anxiety is a normal part of development, it doesn't make my 19-month old son look any less pitiful to me when he cries bloody murder when I leave him. Thank goodness he usually quits fairly quickly after I leave. I also have to remind myself that him displaying this behavior means that he has age-appropriate social-emotional, communication, and cognitive skill development.

This past week was a bit unusual for us. My husband was gone most of the week on a business trip. And although I worked two days this week as usual, I also attended a two day professional conference. That means my son had four LONG days away from me. It also meant the two work days were spent with the babysitter, who he absolutely adores; and that Grandma came to stay two days with us so I could attend the conference. Although my son loves my mother-in-law, she is not his Mommy. When I came home on Friday evening, he clung to me not even wanting to let me go to the bathroom on my own! Once again I reminded myself this is normal, and that one day 10 years from now, I'll wish he wanted me around all of the time.

Children who never display separation anxiety may have a good reason, but then again it is a "red flag" for a problem with social-emotional development such as with autism spectrum disorders, bonding and attachment disorders, and some developmental disorders. A child who lives with many adult family members or who has been in numerous foster homes may not show separation anxiety from the parent (or foster parent). However, the child in the foster home may display it later on once he is in a consistent home.

Separation anxiety starts around the time the child becomes mobile ( crawling and walking) and realizes he can be separate from his parent/ caregiver. It also emerges around the time of "object permanence", so the child is truly fearful that since he can't see you now, that you won't return. It typically diminishes once the child understands that Mommy (or Daddy) will come back later. By the preschool years when the child wants to play with other kids, he may be ecstatic when you drop him off to leave and cry when you come to pick him up. My daughter cried when I took her to her little preschool up to age 3 1/2 years; now that she is in kindergarten, she is excited to leave to the bus stop and be away from her parents!

Suggestions on helping separation anxiety to not be so devestating are:

1. Start out by leaving for only small amounts of time, then build up to longer times. For children who are carried in a sling much of the time and who co-sleep, a small separation may be as simple as him sitting in the high chair or standing in a bouncer while you are only 10 feet away. For another child, it may mean that you leave for 5 minutes to go get the mail outside or leave to run a 20 minute errand.

2. Be honest about your departure and your arrival. Don't sneak away or lie by saying you'll be right back unless that is truly the case.

3. For a child with special needs, maybe take him to a daycare, babysitter, church class, etc. that has a small adult-to-child ratio so he can get more individualized attention.

4. Let the child carry around a small photo book with pictures of you and other family members so he can look at them when he wants to.

5. Create conssistent "bye-bye" and "reuniting" routines. Predictability is calming for kids of all ages, especially babies and toddlers.

As I finish typing this with one hand, my son is up from his nap and clinging to me, which reminds me that separation for longer bouts of time than usual can increase clinging behavior for the next couple of days!

Head Banging

When a young child bangs his head repeatedly, it can be scary to us parents. My 15 month old son recently went through a stage in which he wanted to bang his head on the stroller and high-chair. I don't think he was doing it for any particular reason; he did it once and seemed to like it, so he kept doing it. I nipped this behavior in the bud by completely reclining the back of the stroller and the high-chair. This meant if he was to throw himself back, nothing was immediately there to bang his head on. He tried it once, and realized it made him lay down. So, he quit trying it.

It is not considered abnormal to head bang, however, many children with special needs bang their head and do so excessively. Some kids do it to the point that you are left wondering how they aren't in excruciating pain. More than one book on raising infants and toddlers reports that up to 10% of typically developing young children head bang in order to fall asleep. This statistic sounds a bit high to me, but maybe it included children in the statistics who were similar to my son where they just tried it for a month or so. Yet, many of the kids I work with are chronic head bangers. I try to put my thinking cap on and help the parents come up with solutions to diminish the head banging. Often, we are successful, but sometimes not. Many of those kids eventually outgrow the behavior when they were ready. Listed below are some tips that have worked for some kids that I have worked with over the years. Consider why the child is head banging:

• Is the child frustrated with a toy or person? If so, help him come up with other ways to appropriately release anger. One idea includes a place to retreat to when he is upset such as a tent. Within this tent provide toys or music that are typically calming and/or fun for him. For some kids, don't place anything in the tent other than a pillow or bean bag because they may need only minimal input.
• Is he upset that you don't understand his wants and needs? If he is completely non-verbal, then PECS, sign-language, augmentative communication devices, or other strategies taught by a speech-language pathologist, ABA therapist, or other special educ. staff may need to be implemented. If he is verbal, but just can't express himself when upset, then give a couple of choices. This makes him feel validated as well as helping him express his wants and needs. The choices can be with words, sign language, gestures, or pictures.
• Is the child just bored? Many kids, especially those with sensory processing disorder (SPD) or an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), need lots of movement opportunities or they get bored. Indoor activities may include: trampoline, tunnel, rocking horse, help clean and do chores, and obstacle course. Outdoor activities include: playground equipment with swings, slides, and climbing structures; swimming, walking/running, bikeriding, wagon rides, and yard work. Even a toddler can "help" dig weeds or water the flowers. Maybe the child is bored because he doesn't know how to play with toys or by himself. Get suggestions from your special education staff (OT, PT, SLP, ABA, developmental teacher, EIS, etc.) on toys and activities that may be easier for the child to learn to play.
• Is the child a sensory seeker and needs that deep input head banging provides? Try lots of "rough housing" (supervised), jumping, and the other activities listed in the previous question-answer. Head massage or vibration may be helpful too.
• Does he have seizures or migraines on a regular basis? Even if he is on medications that doesn't mean these problems are under control. I have had numerous kids over the years head bang, eye poke, & nose poke during, before, or after a seizure. Some kids have mixed types and although they may usually stare off, that may not always be the case.
• Does the child have a visual impairment or functional visual deficit? For children with some vision (low vision) or who see double (diplopia), they may get eye aches and think it feels good to bang their head. In this case, darken the room and minimize the work the eyes must do. If the child is head banging as you are having them work on puzzles or other fine-motor activities, then give frequent breaks or cut the session short. If the child should be wearing glasses, then insist they do. Build up to all day starting with 30 minute increments; but don't skip a whole day or play with toys up close without the child wearing the prescription glasses.
• Is he dependent upon head banging to rock himself to sleep because he has no other strategies? If so, help teach self-reglation and self-calming activities. Some kids suck their thumbs until they fall asleep whereas others hum, sing, or hold a soft toy. For this child, provide lots of motion activities throughout the day which may shorten the length of time the child head bangs in the evening. Some kids do well with compression such as tightly tucked in sheets, large heavy pillows placed around their bed, and tight pajamas.
• If the head banging is so severe that the walls or furniture are getting damaged, then this is excessive force. Consider having the child wear a soft helmet to protect his own head as well as the surfaces he hits. Try using lots of pillows too.
• Is the child head banging for attention or avoidance? If so, behavioral strategies may be needed to stop this behavior. If it is for attention, then quit being the audience and try your best to ignore it. Now, everyone in the family and at school (preschool) must be on board, or the child thinks he just has to head bang harder or longer in order to gain your attention. Try to give attention to him when he is not head banging...save the computer, TV, and phone talking that you do for another time, and give the child lots of positive attention during his waking hours.
• Does the child have a reason to have an itchy head? Lice, eczema, dandruff, scabbs, etc. should be considered. If you do not know what lice or their eggs look like, then search the Web and I'm sure you can find loads of information. Discuss treatment for lice with your child's physician. If eczema is a possibility, then discuss this with your child's physician; the child may need prescription shampoo and lotion for his head.

Washing a Kid's Hair Who Has Tactile Sensitivity

My two young kids absolutely love bath time. When they hear Daddy start the water, they dash upstairs to crawl in. They have fun during bath time for many reasons: playing with one another, splashing, playing with bath toys, singing & laughing. My 15 month old son could care less if the water is poured over his head in order to rinse out the shampoo. My daughter on the other hand, acts as if she is dying if any water touches her face. I have her wear a cloth over her eyes and tilt her head back to minimize the damage. If I am washing her hair, all goes well because I am careful to not get any water on her face. When Dad rinses the shampoo, she puts up more of a fight because he typically gets water in her eyes. My child doesn't have sensory processing disorder (SPD) or an extreme tactile sensitivity that I know of, but she is still sensitive to getting water on her face. Once she is upset about the water in her face while bathing, she is over it within 10 seconds after it has stopped. But unfortunately for a lot of the families I work with, once their toddler or young child with SPD or tactile sensitivity becomes upset, it is meltdown city, and then the child is so upset that he can't fall asleep for well over an hour.

While applying shampoo to the child's (with SPD or tactile sensitivity) head, it is a good idea for the adult to put the shampoo in their own palm before applying it to the child's head. The trickle of shampoo over the child's head may be aversive whereas the deeper touch of a palm full of shampoo isn't as aversive, usually. When rubbing in the shampoo, use firm massage strokes. If using organic shampoo without lauryl sulfate, the shampoo may not create suds, therefore suds can't fall into the child's eyes. To minimize water in the face while rinsing shampoo from the sensitive child's hair, try the following tips:

• Have them tilt their head backwards as you rinse the shampoo out



• Have them put a dry washcloth over their eyes as if it is a blindfold. It can catch any stray sprinkles of water



• Use a sun visor to catch any water that would fall down the child's face



• Use a Lil' Rinser (R). They have a website; I purchased one at Target (R). I have only used it a few times, and if put on properly, it helped minimize water in the eyes even if the head isn't tilted back



• Only wash a young kid's hair up to 2 times per week unless they are extra dirty. Since they do not produce as much oil (pre-puberty) as an adult does, they don't need their hair washed as often.



• Get tear-free shampoo and/or shampoo with natural/organic ingredients; this way the shampoo won't be as harmful



• Wash the kid's hair earlier in the day or before supper, not at bedtime. This way if he is upset about it, it won't delay his ability to fall asleep. Many kids with SPD have a hard time winding down to fall asleep on any evening much less on an evening when they became upset



• Consider showers. The deep pressure of water coming from a shower head may be less aversive than water trickling from the faucet or a cup used to rinse out shampoo



• If you are concerned that the your young child may have sensory processing disorder but you are not sure, go to http://www.spdfoundation.net/ for information on kids and http://www.sense-ablebaby.com/ for information on babies.

Importance of Good Shoes for Kids with Hypotonia

One thing I don't skimp on is tennis shoes. Well, let me correct myself, I usually don't skimp on tennis shoes. However, I recently bought a cheaper brand of shoes that only fit my daughter so-so, and within 2 weeks I was giving them away to someone else who needed a pair of shoes. Not sure why I bought them, but I think I was just trying to get the back-to-school shopping over and done with! Had they been horrible I would have tossed them in the trash, but I think they will work for someone else's foot just fine.

I think that having a good fitting shoe on a kid's feet is important, but it is especially important for kids with hypotonia; the fancy word for low muscle tone. Low muscle tone means that the muscles are floppy and not as quick to respond as they should be; that is why these children may fatigue easily, seem clumsy or fall, seem lazy, or are behind in gross motor development. Low muscle tone and muscle weakness aren't synonymous, as kids can have weakness without having hypotonia. But kids with hypotonia are generally weaker than their peers with typical muscle tone (notice I didn't say normal, I said typical).

I don't think to get a good pair of shoes, you necessarily have to spend a lot of money. I can go to Wal-Mart (R) or Target (R) and potentially find a good pair of tennis shoes for a toddler or young child. You want to make sure the shoe is supportive at the sides where the arches are, doesn't come up too high on the ankle as that could limit active range of motion (now there are some kids that need a higher shoe such as a boot, but only if it is not too rigid), is flexible enough to bend the shoe in half, and has a "toe off"- look at the front of the shoe and it should round up slightly on the bottom surface of the shoe, just like a running shoe does (not like a flat surfaced Keds (R) shoe). I find that Smart Fit (R) shoes at Payless Shoe Source (R) and Stride Rite (R) shoes are typically good for the younger kids. I just bought my daughter a pair of Nikes (R) the other day, but even with such a well-known brand, you need to be careful. That is because everyone's foot is made different. Some people tend to wear the shoe down more on the outside, so that is where they need more support (problem is called supination). Some people are the opposite and wear a shoe down more on the inside and need arch support (problem either flat feet AKA fallen arches, or pronation of the foot). The later of these is more common in kids with hypotonia. For older kids to wear on an everyday basis, often finding a cross training shoe is good, because it gives support in many ways and is not as specialized as a court shoe or a running shoe.

My 15 month old son has worn a good pair of shoes consistently since he learned to walk around the time of his 1st birthday. I live in a hot region, and flip-flops or going barefooted are common, so I didn't push him to wear the shoes before he really needed to. FYI: Kids with hypotonia may be walking hazards when wearing flip-flops or crocs. That is because these shoes don't give enough support. Many kids with hypotonia need a snugger fit with good support, or they will fall often! Let me save you a visit to the ER, toss the flip-flops or shoes without a back!

Teaching Toddlers How to Play with Toys

Shouldn't all kids just know how to play? Not necessarily. Some kids can fiddle around with a toy and figure out what to do with it. Others learn by watching another child and then imitating what that other child did. For some children, especially those with developmental disabilities, they don't learn by either one of those ways. They must be taught, and even then the lessons need to be broken down into simple steps. These steps may need to be repeated an hour later or the next day. For children with muscle tone or orthopedic abnormalities, the difficulties in learning may be due to fatigue and mechanics. But eventually, with repetition and patience, the child can learn how to play.



Quite often when I am asked to "come look at a toddler" at work and give my advice to why this child is behind in his development or he has destructive behaviors such as breaking toys, throwing things, or tearing apart other household items, I realize that the child doesn't know how to play. So much of a typically developing toddler's time is spent in play. But some of the toddlers with a delay in development are running around wild, just sitting there doing nothing, watching TV, or "getting into trouble". If they do play it may be limited such as only playing with certain toys and being perseverative in the way they play. An example of perseverative or controlling play is when a child insists on stacking blocks and doing nothing else with the blocks. If someone tries to help them make a house or train with the blocks, they get upset. This is because they have such a limited repertoire of how to play. When some of these toddlers get bored with the same old toys or not knowing how to play, they may become destructive. These behaviors the toddler has would be diminished if he just knew how to play.

That is when I come in to the picture. This means I need to be an investigator and figure out why this toddler is acting up. Is he bad because he is evil? Most likely not. I find that very rarely is there not a reason for a behavior problem. Reasons include: seizures, developmental delays (especially language- receptive and expressive), food allergies, and plain ole' not knowing how to play with toys.



Before parents are able to say "Go play with your toys" to their toddler, there are some things to consider:

• What is the child's physcial and cognitive abilities? Figure out is it really reasonable or not to expect this child to do such a thing. Does the child have the manipulation skills, muscular endurance, and problem solving abilities to play with the toys that are there.
• Can the child make choices? If he can't make choices when you verbally ask a question such as "Do you want to play with the puzzles or the trains?", then he isn't going to say this to himself and go choose an activity unaided when you go ask him to play.
• Is he motivated to play with the toys he has? If he is 2 years old and still has baby toys as opposed to "big boy" toys, then he isn't likely to go play with the toys.
• How long of an attention span does this toddler have? Do the toys require a longer attention span than he has (e.g. game boards, intricate puzzles)?
• Is there some structure to how his toys are kept and organized? If the toys are just dumped and scattered around, some toddlers are too overwhelmed by this to figure out what to go play. However, if they had toys kept in containers, shelves, baskets, or a toy box they may be more likely to know which toy to play with, especially if the adult guides them to a certain container.
• Has the parents, caregivers, or other adults in the chld's life spent enough time getting down on the floor and playing with the child? If not, then why? If it is because the adults don't have time, then make it. If it is because the adults don't remember how to play, then go get one of the many books out there on toddler games and toddler activities and read it. Just think back to things you would have liked when you were young. For example, I always wanted a sit-n-spin (R) but never had one. I played on one at a friend's house when I had the chance. So, I bought one for my daughter when she was 2 1/2, and sure enough she loved it! She didn't play with it daily, but she did enjoyed it. Browse the toy catalogs or toy aisles at the store if you are unsure of what to play. Just have fun playing!

Remember that many kids need to be shown how to play. If you show them that a toy car doesn't just get rolled back and forth but can be crashing into blocks, racing off of a table or couch, and driving under furniture as you make car noises "beep, beep" then they may then have more ideas on how to play. For toddlers and other children who tend to be rigid and controlling in their play skills, you may only be able to show them one more way to use a doll, blocks, or cars. But if you show them one new way to play per week, then within a month, they learned 4 new ways to play with toys. Before you know it, the child will have many choices of what to play when Mom hollers out "Go play in your room!".

W-Sitting

Every picture my parents took of me sitting on the floor below the age of 4 years shows me "w-sitting". What is w-sitting? It is when the child sits on the floor with his knees bent and his ankles are right next to his bottom...as if he had been kneeling and then just relaxed the feet out to each side. It is termed w-sitting, because looking at the child from a "bird's eye" view, the legs look like the letter "W". It is not good on the knees, hips, or feet. In fact I have awful knees probably because I was a big time w-sitter! They squeak when I bend over or walk up the stairs. If I go to aerobics class or walk a far distance, my knees ache for the next 3 days to the point that I can't sleep without pain medicine. So, I am not a fan of letting a child remain in a w-sitting posture for long lengths of time. I am now in my 30s but was told back in my 20s to quit jogging and aerobics classes or my need for a knee replacement would be sped up. So, I stick to biking, pilates, and yoga....wow, do I miss the adrenaline rush of a nice jog!



W-sitting is a posture that babies and toddlers use briefly as they move in and out of various postures. Little ones move so quickly, you will often see them transition from crawling, to sitting, to kneeling, to standing, back down to the floor, etc. So, w-sitting is not bad in and of itself. It is only not a good position if the child remains in that posture for long lengths of time, such as while playing with puzzles or watching television for 10 minutes. It puts unnecessary pressure on the knee joints and contributes to pronated feet (caving in at the ankles and collapsing at the arch). It can alter a child's balance and even make their gait look funny, especially while they run. My daughter tended to want to w-sit as a baby and toddler, and I had to redirect her quite often. I took her to a co-worker (at the time) who was a physical therapist and she gave us stretches and used kinesiotape to help with leg alignment.



Why do children w-sit? Most of the children use this posture because it is easy...it is less work for the trunk muscles because it widens their base of support. Some kids just prefer it just because. But many kids prefer it because they have low muscle tone (AKA hypotonia) or muscle weakness. It is common to see children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy and down syndrome w-sit. I think that my daughter and I have mildly low muscle tone so that is why we have both been w-sitters. It is not uncommon for me to walk into a daycare (I do early intervention OT in natural environments) and see typically developing children using this posture. It does make me cringe, and oh how I want to correct the child. But I can't if the child is not my client. I can however educate the daycare staff about how w-sitting is not a posture that benefits children's gross motor development.



The following are some suggestions that I have found beneficial in reducing w-sitting in a baby, toddler, or older kid.

• For a baby, just correct their posture by placing them in kneeling, criss-cross (AKA Indian style for those of us raised in the 1970s & 80s), or a side-sitting posture
• For toddlers and children, encourage them to sit at a kiddy table and chair while performing fine motor activities such as coloring and puzzles. It is almost impossible to w-sit in a chair
• While the child (not baby) is playing on the floor, have a stool, bench, or tray (like a "breakfast in bed" tray) available. Have the child slide his legs under the device. Because these devices have "legs" or sides, then it increases the chances that the child will sit with his legs out straight to the front of him.
• If the child is in the "terrible twos" stage or is the type who likes control, then give him choices. When you see him w-sit, say "Would you like to fix your legs by sitting criss-cross or legs to the front?"
• Make up a silly song as a reminder. I made up a song titled "Legs in Front" to the tune of Frere Jacque. Then, as I only hummed the tune, my daughter was reminded of correcting her legs out of w-sitting
• Place toys to the side of the child so he will need to reach out of his base of support. This typically encourages a child to side in a side-sit posture (both knees are pointed towards one side or criss-cross style.
• Try not to nag the child by constantly saying "fix your legs" or picking them up and placing them in another posture. I find it best to set up the environment for success by using some of the above-mentioned ideas. Don't redirect the child if he will only be in the w-sit position briefly...if you do, he will tune you out everytime you redirect him...not good!
• There are probably many other ways to help with w-sitting but these are some common ones that I use
• If it is severe enough of a problem, then the child probably needs a physical therapy evaluation. The PT may suggest certain stretches, therapy techniques, furniture, or shoes to help the child
• If the child has sensory processing delays in addition to the low muscle tone, then the child may benefit from an occupational therapy evaluation. At http://www.sense-ablebaby.com/ there is loads of information on sensory processing problems seen in babies and some ideas to help.

Imaginative Play

It is so cute to watch kids, especially toddlers and preschoolers use their imagination during play. As a therapist, I can often get little kids to do some amazing things with imaginative play, and the little ones don't even realize they are improving with their body strength, communication, sensory processing, or other areas of development. They just think they are playing. With imagination: ankle weights become "space boots", arms out to the side become "butterfly wings", and slithering on the belly turns one into a "sneaky snake". Even though as an occupational therapist, my main training is not in speech and language skills, I can really work on expressive and receptive language skills during imaginative play.



I have to hand it to my husband, he is actually better at imaginative play than I am. And that is saying something, because I love to play and act silly. Last year my daughter was really into the Peter Pan Disney movie. So, my husband went to a local party supply store and bought her a Peter Pan costume and some pirate accessories. My husband and then 4-year old daughter would play for up to 30 minutes as she acted out scenes from the movie. He even "threw her" onto the bed as if she was being shot out of the canon. She also jumped from the bed to his arms as she was "walking the plank". It was so cute. Now, I am sad that she isn't as into acting out stories. She is in kindergarten and is much more into playing with games, dolls, tea party, and her friends.



So, today I was watching my 15 month old son play with an unactivated cell phone as he said "hi". I was thinking, "yeah", I get to watch his imagination develop. He is at the age where it is just emerging. Let the fun begin!



At work, so often the toddlers I work with can't yet participate in imaginative play until we work on some underlying skills: joint attention, memory, following simple instructions, sensory processing, & imitating other peoples actions, sounds, or words. So often the attention and imitation are the two biggies we work on. I get so excited when I get to work on the high level skill of imagination! All of the sudden we can be clowns in the circus, cowboys on a horse, and any zoo animal we so desire to be! Sometimes it is even fun to make up an animal or thing that doesn't yet exist!

Well, I am off to go watch the ultimate imagination movie with my daughter and husband on the couch...Toy Story. From the opening scene of the boy playing with his toys to the way the creators of the movie have the toys come to life, this movie is full of imagination! It's been around for awhile, but we love it. We are ready for Toy Story 3 that is due out in 2010!

Food Allergies & Vacation

I just returned from vacation. We had lots of fun! Since both of my sweet children have extensive food allergies, I must really plan ahead for food during our vacations. It would be a lot simpler to pack for a trip if I didn't have to think about every meal and snack for each outing, but by now I have come quite used to this. It is a serious problem if my children eat a food they are allergic to. This is why I always have the jr. epi-pen and lots of benadryl in my purse. They both have had anaphylatic reactions (hives, dropped blood pressure, throat closing up) since being small babies.

I first knew my daughter had food allergies around 4 months of age...she is now 5 1/2 years old. What gave it away for sure that she had food allergies was that I looked down at her chest when changing her clothes about 20 minutes after I breastfed her, and saw at least 100 little hives on her neck and chest. Since I am a healthcare worker, I was probably alot calmer than most moms. I made her vomit, washed her off, and gave her benadryl. She got worse, so I drove her to the doctor's office. They gave her epinephrine, because by this time she looked white as a ghost yet flushed at the same time. I remember this day like it was yesterday! After thorough testing it was revealed that she was allergic to egg, dairy, nuts, soy and wheat. So, since I breastfed her I had to avoid these foods for then on. The only other choice was to feed her an elemental formula, but those are bitter tasting and expensive. So, I chose to continue breastfeeding her. She has now outgrown all of her food allergies except for dairy, eggs, and red food dye....3 biggies.

In terms of my son, I was absolutely for sure he had food allergies by 2 months of age. But I had my suspicions at 7 days of age when he had projectile vomitting after being breastfed. I know the difference between infant reflux and vomitting, and this was definately vomitting. The other clues were redness around his bottom, a runny nose, mucous in the stool, and a significant amount of gas. He was too young to test for food allergies, so the doctor suggested that I avoid eating dairy, nut and egg products. At 5 months of age he was old enough to be tested and the results revealed: soy, dairy, peanuts, almonds, eggs, and oats. He is now 13 months old. I just recently weaned him and he drinks hemp or rice milk for calcium. On a good note, I was finally able to eat anything I wanted as of last week when weaning was over with....so vacation food was more fun for me!

While packing for the trip I thought of every little outing we would be on and planned accordingly. Most restaurants even add butter for flavor to vegetable dishes, so I brought lots of produce. I got us a room at the hotel that had a small refrigerator for all of my kids' special foods.
It seems like I had to explain many times on our trip why I was bringing in food to an amusement park or other facilities that do not allow outside food. After many minutes of explaining, I was let in with the food each time. The sad thing is that these places sell alot of junk food (nachos, candy bars, slushies with food dyes, etc). My children eat lots of fruit, veggies, and foods with little or no additives. Because of this my kids are probably much healthier than the kids who don't have food allergies!

Most importantly, we had so much fun on our trip. Seeing the smiles on my two children's faces and looking back at the souvenirs and photos makes all of the extra planning worth it!