CONNECT COMMUNITY CELEBRATE GRANDPARENTS DAY SEPTEMBER 13
Young and old can unite to celebrate the love between grandparents and their grandchildren. If your littles are lucky enough to have a relationship with their grandparents, make it a point to celebrate National Grandparents Day on September 13. The holiday is observed every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day, and about four million cards are sent to mark the occasion. The first National Grandparents Day was in 1979, making this the 41st year of celebration. Break out the art supplies and make a custom card or send a heartfelt video message. We know grandparents enjoy hearing from their families on any day, but it’s always nice to hear from loved ones on a holiday.
COLORFUL SOAP HELPS GET HANDS CLEAN
Although we should all be experts on handwashing by now, keeping our little one’s hands spotless and free of germs during this pandemic requires constant vigilance. A fun way to make sure that all of our scrubbers are getting their hands thoroughly washed is made a little easier with Color Clean Soap. The delayed color-fading hand soap was created by dad Michael Raymond during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The soap was created to help his own kids get their hands clean and help take the guesswork out of washing. The patentpending, one-of-a-kind non-staining formula makes it easy to see which parts of the hands are clean and highlights unwashed areas of the hands. The soap and color will fade away once hands have been scrubbed for an adequate amount of time during their wash. ■ colorcleansoap.com
SEPTEMBER IS LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH
The days of leisurely browsing the stacks or attending a packed toddler storytime at the local library are gone for now, but online library resources and picking up reserved books are available even during the COVID-19 pandemic. September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and there’s no better time that now to gain access to all the resources our public libraries provide, especially with school back in session. DC’s Wonder Woman is the 2020 program’s honorary chair to champion the power of a library card. The campaign began in 1987 as a national effort between the American Library Association and local libraries to ensure every child signs up for their own library card. Right now, certain libraries in our area even have access to signing up members online. Before you head to your local library, give them a call to discover their procedure. ■ ilovelibraries.org
TRACK YOUR CHILD’S SYMPTOMS WITH KIDSDOC APP
These days, we’re more attuned to our little ones’ every sniffle, cough and ache. An app created by the American Academy of Pediatrics may help you navigate and track those symptoms before calling your child’s pediatrician or making a trip to urgent care. The KidsDoc app, available in the iTunes and Google Play stores, provides a searchable index of symptoms. By tapping on the symptom your child may be experiencing, you can get more detail and advice for what to do next, and the first aid section keeps common treatments you can try close at hand. You can also make profiles for each one of your kiddos to help keep medications, dosages and other information straight. ■ healthychildren.org 16
BRPA RENTS .COM
| SEP T E MB ER 2020
BREASTFEEDING RATES UP DURING PANDEMIC
Becoming a parent during a pandemic comes with challenges, but there has been a positive outcome. Breastfeeding rates at Woman’s have increased by 10 percent, likely due to limiting visitation. “In normal times, parents are often anxious to allow visitors to meet the newest addition, but we’re finding that moms and newborns benefit more without immediate visitors. With the limited visitation policy, pressures to host family and friends are erased. This allows mom and baby to enjoy extended skin-to-skin contact that fosters successful breastfeeding,” says Dana Vidrine, director of mother/baby, lactation, and transition.
