Dayton Children's 2010-2011 Kohl's a Minute for Kids Campaign Launches!

Each year, Kohl’s Department Stores raises money for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program. This year Kohl’s will be donating $141, 351 to Dayton Children’s. Dayton Children’s will be using this funding for our Kohl’s a Minute for Kids campaign. This year’s campaign will focus on the importance of healthy lifestyles for children and families.

The experts at Dayton Children’s will be sharing actionable tricks and tips for parents through a radio campaign and other print items to address childhood obesity and many of the challenges that go along with the disease. Since 1999, Kohl’s has donated more than $1,165,087 to Dayton Children’s through Kohl’s Cares®.

We are very grateful to Kohl’s Department Stores and the outreach work we are able to do because of their generosity!

For more information about the Kohl's a Minute for Kids campaign visit our website.

Beating the Bully

Bullying can happen for a number of reasons; however research indicates that weight is more important than gender, race, and socioeconomic status in predicting who will be the target of bullying among third to sixth graders. In addition, obese preteens are more likely to be bullied than their normal weight peers.
“If your child confides in you that he or she is being bullied, take the problem seriously,” says Greg Ramey, PhD, pediatric psychologist at Dayton Children’s.

“Bullying shouldn’t be dismissed as the teasing we all experience throughout our lives. Half of our kids are victims of bullying, which can involve physical threats or verbal intimidation either in person or over the Internet.”

Children shouldn’t have to suffer with hurtful name calling, threats, rumors, and intimidation. Work with your child to develop positive strategies to deal with a bully.

“It’s hard for children to talk about this problem, so compliment your child for bringing this to your attention,” says Dr. Ramey, “Listen to your child and ask them to explain their feelings. Let them know that you understand their feelings and that it’s OK for them to feed ad or worried.”

Then, help your child figure out what may work in their situation, such as ignoring the bully, staying with group of friends, or avoiding situations where bullying typically occurs.

For more tips about bullying from Dr. Ramey visit our website.

Kohl's Cares for Kids

Kohl's Department Stores, our partner for Dayton Children's Kohl's a Minute for Kids campaign, recently launched their Winter 2010 Kohl's Cares for Kids ® merchandise featuring the characters and literary work of Dr. Seuss.

Throughout the year, Kohl's sells special Kohl’s Cares for Kids® merchandise where 100% of the net profits are donated to support health and educational opportunities for children nationwide. Since 2000, more than $126 million has been raised to support children’s programs including those at Dayton Children's!

The next time you're looking for a great gift check out these items located at Kohl's.

Countdown to Good Health the 5-2-1-0 Way!

This week Dayton Children's launches our next installment of the Kohl's A Minute for Kids campaign with tips from our very own Dr. James Ebert, lead physician in the lipid clinic.

For the next two months those in our service area will hear a radio clip featuring Dominique Samuels and his mother, Diana. They discuss how small steps can make big changes for your health and share with listeners the 5-2-1-0 tips from Dr. Ebert.

Here are the 5-2-1-0 tips that your family can use:

• Children should get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Along with eating healthy, children should spend less than 2 hours in front of the TV, computer, or video game screen each day.
• To stay physically fit, at least 1 hour of aerobic activity everyday will keep your heart strong.
• Finally, 0 is the amount of sugary drinks that should be consumed on a daily basis.

These four easy steps create a simple way for families to maintain their overall health and will be a great start to a healthier 2010!

For a sneak preview and additional resources, check out our Kohl's microsite at: http://kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org/Topics/Healthy_Eating_5-2-1-0.html.

Growth and Development Linked to Injury Risk

The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton and Kohl’s Department Stores, as a part of the Kohl’s “A Minute for Kids” Campaign, encourage parents to take a moment and learn more about ways to protect their children from accidental injury. A crucial part of protecting your child from injury is understanding more about their growth and development.

“Growth and development includes not only the physical changes that occur from infancy to early teens, but also some of the changes in emotions, personality, behavior, thinking and speech that children develop as they begin to understand and interact with the world around them,” says Eileen Kasten, MD, medical director of developmental pediatrics at Dayton Children’s.

Understanding your infant and toddler’s development is especially important because children in these age groups have a poor understanding of risks and danger. Their natural curiosity and impulsiveness, failure to appreciate danger and limited ability to handle more than one stimulus at a time puts them at increased risk for injury.

“Young children between 0 to 4 years are particularly susceptible to injury because they lack experience, strength and physical skill,” says Dr. Kasten. “Children at this age are impulsive and don’t have fear. They also tend to disappear quickly from a parent’s view.”

Dayton Children’s and Kohl’s Department Stores offer these tips to help protect your infant or toddler from accidental injury:

Infancy (children 0 to 12 months)

Motor Vehicle Crashes

Use a rear-facing car seat until at least age 1 and a weight of 20 lbs. This is the safest option to support an infant’s weak head, neck and back and prevent spinal cord injuries. Use a rear-facing car seat longer if the seat has a higher weight and height limits.

Drowning

Supervise children at all times when they are near water. A supervised child is in sight at all times with your undivided attention focused on the child. Infants can die in less than one inch of water. Never leave your baby unattended in or near water, even for a second.

Unsafe Sleep Practices

Practice the ABCs of Safe Sleep. Infants should sleep Alone, on their Back and in a Crib. Make sure the crib is free from blankets, bumper pads, and stuffed animals and meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

Have a plan. Infants will cry, sometimes for prolonged periods of time, and it’s important to plan how you will stay calm if you’ve tried everything and your baby is still crying. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your baby. Calming activities that can be part of your plan include breathing, going for a walk with your baby and talking to someone.

Early childhood (children 1 to 4 years old)

Motor Vehicle Crashes

Use a forward-facing car seat until the harness no longer fits. The five-point harness will protect small children and keep them in place. Children’s behavior in the car may also become distracting to the driver because they want to ride like older children or get bored.

Drowning

Supervise children at all time when they are near water. A supervised child is in sight at all times with your undivided attention focused on the child. Don’t leave toys in or near the pool, where they could attract unsupervised kids. For extra protection, consider a pool alarm and alarms on the doors, windows and gates leading to the pool.

Burns

Make the kitchen a child-free zone when someone is cooking. Children want to stay close to their parents, but their cognitive skills are not developed to recognize the danger of hot items or control their impulses. As children grow in height, they can reach the counter and front burners, but can’t see what’s in them. A child’s skin burns deeper and quicker at lower temperatures than adult’s skin.

Falls

Install stair and door gates. A toddler’s increased mobility and active lifestyle put him/her at risk of falling down a staircase or wandering into areas of the home that are not child-safe.