Youth Safety and Education

DECEMBER 2019 | MODERNWELLNESSGUIDE.COM

An Independent Supplement by Mediaplanet to USA Today

YOUTH SAFETY & EDUCATION

Ali Landry

Meet the mom on a crusade to raise car seat safety awareness

Why window cord covers can be a lethal hazard for your child Find this campaign at the Prego Expo, Feb. 23 in Orlando, FL

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This Campaign Teaches That Kindness Can Stop Bullying Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson worked together on an anti-bullying project in college. A decade later, it’s evolved into a movement that’s growing globally.

in their hands to take ownership, create change, and really make amends with other people for things that have gone on in their lives,” Thompson said.

The two met at Pepperdine University where they were both studying film and television production. They’d both been bullied — Paul in middle school and Thompson in high school — and decided to create the documentary “Finding Kind.”

“It really felt like we were popping the lid off of something,” Paul said.

Their award-winning documentary project ultimately became Kind Campaign, a non-profit that’s considered the premiere anti-bullying movement for girls. They now hold assemblies in hundreds of schools and host a robust online community.

Social media “Cyberbullying can be just as harmful as bullying someone face-to-face,” Thompson said.

Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are being used to harass, embarrass, and alienate others.

“We have seen students use social media to bully teens in so many ways,” Paul said. “It’s created a space where people can be anonymous or not. That disconnect, not having to look someone in the eye when you’re saying something, dehumanizes the situation.”

It’s important to report cyberbullying when you see it so the social media platforms can intervene. Schools can get involved, too.

“Hold students responsible for things that are said and done online, just as they would hold them responsible if things were happening in the hallways or on campus,” Thompson said.

As new mothers, both Paul and Thompson say they now have increased perspective on the need to protect children.

“I think people want to lean into kindness,” Thompson said. n

Apologize It’s essential to acknowledge that, at some point, we’ve all been both the bully and the bullied.

“We’ve all said and done things that have had negative impacts on others,” Thompson said. “Because of that, we are all the ones with the power to create change.”

During assemblies, Thompson and Paul ask participants to say they’re sorry.

“The ‘Kind Apology’ is a simple sheet of paper but it’s really putting the power

Kristen Castillo

Publisher Katherine Haines and Isabel Carretero Business Developer Victoria Borkowski and Jordan Hernandez Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Ti�fany Pryor Designer Ti�fany Jackson Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Dustin Brennan Director of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Director of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Director of Product Faye Godfrey Content Strategist Vanessa Rodriguez Cover Photo Courtesy of Ali Landry All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise speci�ıed. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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PHOTO: THE KIND CAMPAIGN

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Why There’s No Time to Waste When It Comes to Childproo�ıng Your Home

PHOTO: BRETT HORN, CHARLIE’S HOUSE

The Home Safety Hazard That’s Hiding in Plain Sight

There are no shortcuts worth taking when childproo�ıng a home, which is why Brett Horn started Charlie’s House — a nonpro�ıt that teaches parents how to properly make their homes safe for their young children.

What led you to start Charlie’s House?

What are some common mistakes �ırst-time parents make in childproo�ıng a home?

advertised with fully decorated fabric and lights over the top to make the crib look whimsical, when in fact you could be putting your baby in danger of suffocation, strangulation, or fire. Another common mistake is using a crib handed down from an older relative as a special touch for your family, when in reality, many older cribs are not safe by today’s standards.

Ultimately, it is vital to take action on the safety tips that parents get from many safety organizations and resources within their community. Don’t wait, it can happen to you.

New parents may worry more about décor than the safety of the nursery. For example, cribs are often

What advice do you have for parents of young children that could help them avoid accidents?

My wife Jenny and I lost our son Charlie to a tragic accident when a 30” dresser fell on him in 2007.

Our pain was immeasurable. We never wanted this to happen to another family again. Working with a dedicated board and volunteers, we formed Charlie’s House, which is committed to educating parents and caregivers about child safety in the home.

Take the time before your child is born to walk through your house and look for any potential trouble spots, and then do it again every three months to ensure you stay ahead of a child’s development.

Every room has the potential to be dangerous.

With our own son, we had childproofed the house, or thought we had. We had plug-in covers, blind cords up, baby gates on the stairs, and corner protectors on the coffee table. But we didn’t do enough. I can’t stress enough the importance of anchoring your televisions and dressers.

The first step is getting educated but it’s not the last step. Be proactive and vigilant throughout your child’s life. Don’t wait — childproof now! n

Most parents are aware of common safety hazards for children — electrical sockets, sharp furniture corners, cleaning supplies, and more.

However, one of the most visible safety hazards to children is o�ten overlooked: window covering cords.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission named window covering cords as one of the top five hidden hazards in the home, as dangling and exposed cords can pose a potential strangulation hazard to infants and young children.

Luckily, this potential hazard is an easy one to avoid. Safety experts recommend that parents and caregivers only use cordless window covering products or those that have inaccessible cords in homes with young children.

When replacing window coverings, look for products with the Best for Kids™ certification label. This label enables families to easily identify products available at all major retailers that are best suited for homes with young children. Going cordless is also now easier than ever because of a new U.S. Safety Standard that requires all window covering stock products (sold online and in stores) to be cordless or have inaccessible cords.

If going cordless is not an option, parents should ensure all cords are out of sight and reach by shortening and tying them so they are inaccessible for children. Additionally, families should move all cribs, beds, furniture, and toys away from windows and window cords.

For more information on window covering cord safety in the home, visit www.windowcoverings.org.

Window Covering Safety Council MEDIAPLANET • 3

dents in poverty to Space Camp on full-paid scholarships, and have over 1,500 Student Space Ambassadors globally.

Astronaut Abby’s life mission is to go to space. Since the age of 4, when she would stand outside in the freezing Minnesota winters staring up at the night sky, she has done everything in her power to make that dream come true.

Abby, who is 22 and currently attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts, is on a mission to help young women and minorities realize their dreams of working in STEM through her

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YouTube channel and outreach.

We talked to her about The Mars Generation, her nonprofit, and why she’s so passionate about developing STEM talent.

Tell us a bit more about The Mars Generation.

The idea for The Mars Generation was born when I was 15. I had been asked by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano to be his Earth liaison during his six-month

PHOTO:THE MARS GENERATION

How Astronaut Abby Is Inspiring Women and Minorities to Pursue STEM Careers

stay on the International Space Station, to share his experiences living and working in space with people here, especially young people and women.

Upon seeing the incredible success this work had, I decided I wanted to continue it after Luca’s return to Earth.

In 2015, I launched The Mars Generation and in a little over two years, we have amassed a social media following of over 1 million people, sent 36 stu-

COME FLY with SDSU

Our nation’s workforce is in desperate need of STEM talent.

What advice would you give our next generation of innovators?

One of the biggest problems we have with recruiting young women and minorities into STEM fields is that they often don’t feel supported, and even more than that, they often feel unwelcome in STEM careers.

Be loud and be proud about your dreams.

What advice would you give parents and educators who strive to improve STEM learning opportunities?

Be creative! Creativity is key in creating innovative STEM education opportunities. Many students learn through different means, and by including multiple techniques in a lesson or activity, you can reach more students. n

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NASA-SUPPORTED RESEARCH IS HAPPENING HERE With a top U.S. aerospace engineering department, San Diego State University is a world-renowned destination for: • Developing state-of-the-art technology to enable a human mission to Mars • Research to return astronauts to the Moon in the mid-2020s • The recent discovery of a third planet in the Kepler-47 Circumbinary System • Educating those in space, such as Dr. Ellen Ochoa (’80), the first Latina director for NASA’s Johnson Space Center “SDSU is a world class research institution committed to student success, and one that engages our students as active contributors and partners every step of the way.

SDSU’s commitment is that every student graduate ready to compete in a global economy and to engage in the world’s — and now the solar system’s — greatest challenges.”

—SDSU President Adela de la Torre

sdsu.edu

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ids are high-tech these days — 42 percent have their own tablet — and a consumer tech survey says 86 million prospective shoppers plan to buy technology for a child, ages 6 to 17, this holiday season.

“Many parents are interested in managing their family’s overall screen time and access to online content,” says Tiebing Zhang, CTO and co-founder of Circle, a hardware and software

company that delivers screen time management and parental control solutions to families.

He says parents are concerned with their kids’ addiction to devices and the amount of time spent on them, as well as the impact these habits have on children’s physical activity levels and eyesight.

Enter Circle Home Plus, a comprehensive in and out-ofhome parental control solution, which allows families to

manage every Wi-Fi and mobile device anywhere they go.

The award-winning device and app combo, which retails for $129 and comes with a one-year subscription, allows parents to block content, set time limits and keep track of all devices, including cell phones, laptops, tablets and more. Parents set the parameters such as filtering content by age or by individual app or website. Circle can tell parents how long kids were using

devices and show the history of sites visited.

Time limits can be set for each family member and an alert will go off when time is up. The tech helps families keep kids safe and balances digital time with family time.

“Parents ultimately know the best choices to make for their children and Circle is here to help guide constructive family conversations about screen time habits,” says Zhang. n Kristen Castillo

MEDIAPLANET • 5

Winter is upon us and it comes with some of the most challenging driving conditions. Snow, slush, and ice decrease visibility and stopping time for drivers, and increase the chances of an accident.

These factors remind us why it’s important to talk to your teens and prepare them for winter travel. Here are some safety tips to ensure your teen drivers are ready for wintertime expeditions:

1

Install winter tires Winter tires provide levels of traction that all-season and summer tires can’t in winter conditions. While all-wheel drive can help, it only provides forward momentum in snow and doesn’t aid in stopping or steering the vehicle.

2

Get a tune-up and check air pressure Before any long road trips, visit your mechanic for a tune-up and other routine maintenance for your vehicle. Have it checked for any leaks, bad parts, and needed repairs and replacements.

3

Keep your distance Vehicles do not react as quickly in the snow, so be sure to drive slowly and keep a larger following distance between you and other vehicles.

4

Stay home The No. 1 way to stay safe is to stay off the roads. Even with the best preparation, you cannot account for all possibilities. If it’s not necessary for you to go out, it’s best to avoid driving until road conditions improve.

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When actress and model Ali Landry realized she had been installing her child’s car seat incorrectly — and how dangerous it was — she became outspoken about the importance of car seat safety.

When Landry’s first child was born, she thought she was doing everything right.

She got a car seat she “just trusted,” installed it how she thought it was supposed to go, threw a car seat cover over it, and called it a day.

After taking courses with Safe Kids, Landry learned she was doing it all wrong.

The seat wasn’t installed correctly and the cute toys she’d attached were a major no-no. Luckily, Landry corrected the opportunity before anything bad happened, but not all parents are so lucky.

She remembers a heartbreaking story of a woman who thought she had gotten the right car seat for her 3-year-old, but she hadn’t.

There was an accident and the child was ejected from the vehicle.

Landry said her heart breaks for the woman, who only wanted to do the right thing for her child. If she had been better informed, none of this would have happened.

Landry is now a safety seat technician with Safe Kids and she has started an annual Celebrity Red CARpet event, for which she gathers influential people to raise awareness about the importance of car seat safety. Now in its eighth year, she said the event has started some really great conversations.

What to look for For car seats, Landry recommends a 5-point harness, and said she tried to keep her children in a 5-point

Ali Landry No Longer Takes Her Kids’ Safety for Granted harness for as long as possible. She also said the mistake she sees most often is in the installation process.

“My husband was the one who installed our car seat.

Men think they can do what they want and not check the instructions,” she quipped.

Parents might assume the worst will never happen to them. Landry cautions against this attitude because

it is impossible to know exactly what’s going to happen in the future.

Fortunately, Landry said, being a parent makes you part of a new community, which comes with a lot of support.

“We all make mistakes and support one another,” she said. n Lynne Daggett MEDIAPLANET

PHOTO:COURTESY OF ALI LANDRY

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Are you alone?

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