Young Scholars Academy

Where Children Develop a Love of Learning

 5815 Tutt Center Point - Colorado Springs, CO 80922
 (719) 522-9099
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Keeping Kids Cool Through The Dog Days Of Summer

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Young Scholars Academy
Take care in the heat!

Summer is the time of year for running around, playing outdoors, and staying active in the beautiful weather.

However, all this running and physical activity in the heat of the day can put children, and adults, at risk for heat stroke and related types of complications.

Heat stroke is not just a slight problem; it can be extremely harmful and even fatal if not treated immediately once it reaches a severe stage.

The good news is that parents can teach their children to recognize when they are getting too warm and take the right steps to cool off and enjoy the rest of the day.

The earliest signs of heat stroke, sometimes known as heat exhaustion, include symptoms such as:

  • Weakness, fatigue and muscle cramps
  • Feelings or nausea or even vomiting
  • Dizziness and headaches

If the child is not cooled off at this point the symptoms progress to full heat stroke and include elevated body temperature, hot dry skin, lack of sweat production, rapid pulse, difficulty in breathing and agitation and confusion.

To help you child avoid heat exhaustion or the more serious heat stroke teach them to:

  • Always ensure that children bring water with them and hydrate regularly throughout the activity. Children should be limited to water or sports drinks but not sodas, energy drinks or drinks containing caffeine.
  • Wear a hat to help keep direct sun of the head, also wear lighter colored, loose fitting clothing to allow perspiration to evaporate and cool the body.
  • Limit any intensive activity or competitive events in the hottest parts of the day or when humidity levels are high.
  • Encourage kids to find games that can be played in shady areas of the yard or playground area.

Last, and most important, parents need to focus on never leaving a child in a car or leaving a vehicle unlocked so that children can get into the hot interior.

The greatest cause of injury and death due to heat stroke is related to children being left in vehicles, often for as little as five minutes, resulting in a tragedy that could have easily been prevented.

Thank you for reading!

Baby Safety Tips For The Home

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Young Scholars Academy baby safety tips
These baby safety tips can help keep your infant out of harm’s way

Bringing home a new baby is an exciting and magical event for any family. Preparing your home in advance for the big day helps parents to proactively provide built in safety for the new addition to the family.

There are a range of different baby safety products on the market today that can make Mom and Dad’s life a lot easier.

However, there are also some simple and very traditional types of safety practices that will keep your infant out of harm’s way.

Before your baby is up and about crawling and playing look at each room of the home. General safety issues that can be put in place include:

  • Baby safe latches on all drawers and cabinets in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and storage areas to prevent injury if baby pulls the drawers or cabinets open or gets into the stored contents.
  • Check all electrical cords and remove any that dangle or hang down. Cover all electrical outlets with spring loaded covers that automatically close when the cord is removed.
  • Roll all cords for blinds or drapes up to well above the height that a crawling baby, toddler or infant can reach.
  • Have a new crib and mattress for the baby that is designed to prevent the baby from getting hands or limbs lodged between the posts. The mattress should fit correctly in the crib and extend to the frame on all sides.
  • Limit items in and around the crib and ensure any mobiles or hanging items on the crib are safe and secure and approved for use for a baby.
  • Always have the correctly sized, approved car safety seat for your baby and do not travel with the baby in a vehicle when the child is not secured in the baby car seat.
  • Avoid using any types of room freshening or air treatment products in the nursery or the home as an infant may be extremely sensitive to these products.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, never leave your baby unattended unless they are in a safe, secure location such as their crib. This ensures that the baby can’t get into anything that is potentially dangerous in the few seconds you step away.

Thank you for reading!

Internet Safety For Young Children On Mobile Devices

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Internet safety for young children is key

Internet safety is a relatively new concept for parents to have to worry about, really just evolving over the last 25 years.

However, with the constant advancement in technology parents don’t just have to worry about kids getting to problematic sites on the family computer; now you also have to worry about tablets, smartphones and other internet connected devices.

The Problems
The problem with these devices is that there are multiple ways to access information. Kids will quickly learn how to access the browser feature on these devices, which you can set up to deny access to specific online content just as you can on your computer.

However, apps, which are cloud based, are not able to be blocked in the same way. This means any of your apps can be easily opened by your kids and they can make purchases, change information and even access those apps that may not be appropriate for little eyes.

The Solutions
There are ways to allow your children to use your tablets, iPads and smartphones while still keeping the children safe and protecting you from unwanted purchases or downloads. This will vary by device by can include:

• Password protection – with both Android and iOS systems you can password protect specific apps and features. This means that the child cannot access that app or feature unless they first key in the correct password or PIN. They can access anything is not set up to need this additional information to start.
• App download – on the Android systems as well as the Apple platform devices you can download a parental control app. This provides you with both parental controls that limit the content that the child can access as well as child locks that simply lock out that particular app, including email and online browser access.
• Shut off in-app purchasing – on all devices you also have the option to shut off in-app purchases to prevent those unwelcome surprises. On the Apple products this is located in the parental settings and restrictions area and on the Android system it is found under the Google Play settings. You will need to create a PIN and enter that to make any purchase.

Kids and technology is a great match and with the safety options available parents can allow their kids to enjoy smartphones and tablets without any concerns.

Thank you for reading!

Tips and Tricks for Camping with Small Children

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Let's go camping!
Let’s all go camping!

Camping with small children – even infants and toddlers doesn’t have to be the nightmarish experience you might think it would be. After all – you haven’t lived until you warmed a bottle over a campfire at 3:00 am!

If camping is something you enjoy doing then there’s no reason that you shouldn’t enjoy it even when your children are small – with a few changes to accommodate your young family.

Obviously, the younger your children the more “stuff” you will need to bring along to make the trip enjoyable. You’ll be taking your car with you to the campsite so you have the luxury of making the car as full as you need without having to worry about the extra luggage.

Keep in mind that no matter how much you pack, you will likely forget something or even run short so try to pick a campground with at least a convenience store nearby.

Another thing to consider is the trip itself. You know better than anyone how long your child will remain happy on a car ride – if necessary, choose a campground closer to home to keep everyone happy along the way. You also want to make sure that you can get to your campsite before dark in order to set up everything you need and can find everything easily.

If you have a crawler or young one just learning to walk, you’ll want to make sure you have a pack ‘n’ play that can be used for a crib and a play pen and let your baby move around while you’re setting up camp or hanging around the campfire.

You may also want to choose a campsite with flushing toilets and potable running water if you are in the potty-training phase. You can also decide to rent a cabin – there are plenty of kid-friendly campgrounds that can help you plan.

Camping with your young children can be very enjoyable with these few little tips. And don’t forget to keep your children on their same eating and sleeping schedules as much as possible – doing so will keep everyone in their happy place!

Barbecue Safety for Small Children

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Bring it on!
Bring it on!

Finally! This long winter seems to be coming to an end and summer is just around the corner. Summer means warmer days, longer evenings and of course barbecues.

Some parents are a little leery of barbecuing with small children under foot but with some simple precautions there’s no reason you can’t safely cookout with your children nearby.

Here are some very simple rules to follow to keep your next barbecue a safe and fun event for everyone:

1. Be sure to keep the grill away from all structures, siding, deck railings. Be sure your grill is not under the eaves or near low hanging branches and is also a safe distance from any lawn games and areas where your children play.
2. Don’t wear large, loose fitting clothing while you’re grilling.
3. Use long handled utensils to keep you as far away from the heat and flames as possible
4. Remove grease and fat buildup in the trays to keep them from igniting
5. Set up a 3-foot “safe zone” to keep children and pets away from the grilling area.
6. Keep matches and lighters away from children

Finally, don’t leave your grill unattended – especially when children are playing nearby. Unattended cooking is the number one cause of accidents and fires when it comes to barbecuing.

This list may seem like a lot to remember but once you’re in the habit of following the steps it will become second nature and you and your family will be safe to enjoy the long, lazy days of summer.

Thank you for reading- please don’t hesitate to bring us some great BBQ 😉