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5 Investment Options To Save For Your Child’s Future

August 2, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

You probably do not want your kids to have difficult financial times when they grow up, so you decide to save some money for them in the form of investing. Investing can be an excellent way of getting more from your money, so we wanted to share with you 5 Investment Options To Save For Your Child’s Future. However, it does not work for everyone. Whether investing makes sense to you depends on your future goals. Saving in the form of investing should be something that every parenting practice because the future of your children depends on what you do today. Remember having children turns your world upside down in a way, so you better be prepared. Investing for your child’s future requires that you make choices on the available options out there. Here are some of the best options you can invest your money if you want to save for your child’s future.

5 Investment Options To Save For Your Child’s Future

1. National Savings and Investments Children’s Bonds

National savings and investments children’s bonds can be bought for children who are under the age of 16 years by either a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent or even a guardian. The savings bonds are safe as they guarantee returns with fixed levels of interests for five years. Another good aspect of this saving plans is that there is no tax paid on returns. Another great advantage of these saving bonds is that they are supported by HM Treasury. However, that does not mean that the bonds offer the highest rates regarding interest. Also, there are consequences for cashing them out early before they reach five

Years.

2. Trusts

Trusts are a legal agreement where you as the settlor, place assets into a trust and name a trustee to manage them on behalf of your children where they are known as beneficiaries. The assets can be money, buildings, land or other investments.

Various types of trust exist, an example is a bare trust that gives beneficiaries the right to the assets when they reach 18 years. Another example of trust is the discretionary trust that gives power to the trustees to decide the formula on how and when the assets are divided. It’s up to you to choose what is right for your child.

3. Junior ISAs

Launched in November 2011 to replace Child Trust Fund, ISAs are one of the best investing options if you want to save for your child. Isas have an annual saving limit of 4,000 euros which can be informed of cash, stocks, and shares or any mixture of the two. Parents and guardian are responsible for setting it up although anyone can pay money into an ISA account. However, cannot be made before a child turns 18 years. They have an advantage in that the ISA account can be held alongside with an adult ISA between the ages of 16 and 18 years thus giving a child an increased tax-free allowances for two years. You can choose the type of ISA you want for your child as only two accounts per child can be held at any one time – one cash and one stock and shares.

4. Invest in shares and stocks.

Online trading and investment companies like CMC Markets offer shares that you can invest in and therefore expose your money to potential growth. There is a huge variation of funds that are provided which you can invest in a bundle of shares and watch your returns grow. Consider global shares funds which are available in the online trading and investment company and are the most common option in children’s investment trust savings schemes. Shares and stocks are an excellent way in which you can invest in the form of saving for your child’s future.

5. Invest in properties

Investing your money in real estate is another best investing for your child. Investing in real estate can be very lucrative depending on your method of investing. If you do it in the right way and a proper location, you will have enough money when your child is of age and in need of the money. Consider purchasing homes, repair and sell them up on high prices or you can as well buy homes, turn them around and rent them out to tenants for a higher cost, with time, the returns will be good.

10 Reasons to Visit Disneyland Now

July 26, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I’ve been to Disneyland quite a bit the past few months and have written about the number one reason to visit Disneyland twice now, Summer of Heroes. But, Summer of Heroes and the new Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout ride are not the only reasons to go to Disneyland right now. We have that top ten reasons to visit Disneyland and California Adventures listed here.

10 Reasons to Visit Disneyland:

1. Summer of Heroes: includes the Avengers Training Initiative, one of 10 epic moments you’ll experience this summer! Then, celebrate your training at the “Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Dance Off” with Peter Quill and Gamora. You can meet all the heroes from the Avengers face to face and eat some really great Marvel themed food. I recommend doing Heroes of Summer first because sometimes on busy days they run out of themed food.

2. Return of Fantasmic! I wrote all about what I thought about Fantasmic! or what I saw of it last week from my D23Expo Experience. Disneyland provided some footage from the first show

3. The Return of the Electric Parade: The Electric Parade is my husband’s favorite parade at Disneyland. He knows the music by heart and just loves seeing all the lights parade down main street.

photo credit: Disneyland

4. The Fireworks Display: The fireworks display at Disneyland and at Disney World is so immersive. They project lights onto all the buildings, have Walt speak, and amazing music from different movies and themed rides playing while the fireworks dance in the sky.

5. World of Color: If you have not taken the time to see World of Color you are missing out. World of Color is in California Adventures and visually moves through Disney films in a fantastic way displaying on water and fire.

Here is a preview of what you would see at World of Color:

6. Return of the Disneyland Train: I have missed the train. The train is a great way to get from one part of the park to the other, and I believe they made some improvements to what you see while you are on the train. There was one section that was

7. Disney Junior Shows: Disney Junior Dance Party!”: Debuting Friday, May 26, this fun concert experience invites adults and kids to dance and sing along to the music. Popular Disney Junior characters from Disney Junior TV shows “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First” and “The Lion Guard” are joined by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the new series “Mickey and the Roadster Racers.”

8. A revamp to Tom Sawyer Island with a better Pirate’s Lair: My kids love going to play over at the Prate’s Lair.

9. Rivers of America attractions. The attraction is better than ever as you have more things to look at while you are on the ride.

10. Possibly sneak a peek at Star Wars Land The Galaxy’s Edge. There are certain locations at Disneyland that are high enough you can just barely get a glance or two at how The Galaxy’s Edge is coming along. You’ll have to let me know if you get a peek of the Millennium Falcon.

10 Foods That Cleanse The Liver

July 24, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The modernity of our lives has spared us so much pleasure and fun, why not? With so much pleasure, we unconsciously have cultured habits that could be detrimental in any aspect of our life, the liver. Since it is a primary need for survival, with the emerging fads in food and drinks, we indulge in them that unknowingly contain lots of toxins in our body. Tolerance, that’s what it is and just because our tongue felt savory while feeling ecstatic to try new tastes, we thought that’s cool. Blame it to our taste buds, then! We consume so much that we fail to look deeper into our food and drink intake. Below we will share 10 Foods That cleanse the liver.

Worst case scenario, we’ve gotten some common and a little bit serious health problems you can imagine. First attack goes to our digestive system, namely- diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea and vomiting, etc. If further tolerated, worst may extend to become worse! Over time, minor becomes major.

Our body is such a wonder creation because it has countless ways to fend away those agents of diseases. We have our own immune system which does most of the job, but little do we know that other organ in our body can actually also help fight through cleansing or detoxifying toxic chemicals that we intake daily through our food and drinks.

This one is not just a whole systematically working, but just one organ, multitasking, but still makes a very well-done job in cleaning chemicals just unnecessary for our body, like cleanse the liver. Being renowned as the largest gland and among the four organs that excrete wastes such as the kidneys, intestines, and skin, the liver has multiple roles in sustaining the body’s overall wellness like synthesis and storage. Setting them aside, one of liver’s main functions is detoxifying.

How does it detoxify? First, when intestines finish digesting our food and as products flow through the blood, blood rushes to the liver then takes over in filtering that blood out. It takes 4 liters of blood every minute for the detox which eventually goes to the heart to be distributed every part of our body.

How Does the Liver Detoxify?

Whatever we eat contains chemicals that are either helpful or harmful to our body. The liver does the aftercare for cleansing out harmful chemicals, especially from food additives, food coloring, preservatives, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, agricultural chemicals in the foods we purchase in the markets, alcohol and medications. Surprisingly, it also detoxifies fumes, air pollution, drugs and many other factors.

All the sources of toxins mentioned can only be dissolved with fats, the liver then converts them into something easily dissolved with water to be easily excreted out of the body. There are two phases in detoxification. Phase 1 neutralizes toxins for phase 2. Phase 2 converts it into less toxic materials. During these two phases, antioxidants like glutathione, and substances like cysteine, glycine or sulfur help counteract toxins to be harmless. Consequently, they become water-soluble then become incorporated to the bile (which makes the color of the feces) or urine.

There are a hundred other antioxidants and chemicals that help neutralize these toxins. Now that we know how toxins are washed away by these friendly chemicals, let’s look at the top 10 high sources of detoxifiers.

10 Foods That Cleanse The Liver

1. Garlic

Garlic is rich in allusion and selenium- the two richest sources of nutrients for the liver, which activate enzymes that cleanse the blood during detoxification. Ellison can drive off invaders of the immune system that lighten up its load. Not just that, garlic can also help lower cholesterol and triglycerides that, like the heart, it destructed with such faults may impede normal functioning.

Use garlic cloves in your dishes if possible, preferably raw and not processed.

2. Beets and Carrots

Both are fully-loaded with beta-carotene and plant flavonoids that boost liver function at full blast! Carrots are rich in glutathione, which is helpful in detoxifier as mentioned while beets are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and more which are blood purifier from toxins.

Make a salad that includes these two as you mix it with olive or coconut oil and lemon juice.

3. Apple

It is high in pectin, known to wash away toxins in the digestive tract, making liver worry less when it purifies blood. It also contains malic acid, which is good at removing carcinogens and other toxins out of the blood. Simply munching on apples is already a good way to indulge in its nutrients and taste. However, make sure that they are organic otherwise they might have come from commercialized farms. Thus, they use harmful pesticides.

4. Avocados

Not only are good source of healthy oils, but they also contain high levels of glutathione, which as discussed, is a neutralizer of toxins for the proper functioning and for a lesser damage to the liver.

Eating 1-2 avocados a week may help reduce liver damage.

5. Lemon and Limes

Lemons are widely known to be rich in Vitamin C and that is true! In fact, its role in liver-cleansing is to boost mineral absorption by the liver. They are also rich in antioxidants such ass D-Limonene. Moreover, despite its acidity, it can also neutralize toxins or wastes as a head start for the whole digestion.

Simple lemonade can be your daily detoxifier by adding 1 lemon to a liter of water. Chopped lemon and/or honey can be added.

6. Leafy Green

Leafy and green veggies like spinach, lettuce, arugula, chicory, mustard greens, kale, and etc. possess chlorophylls that give a hand to the liver in neutralizing toxic chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals. Including them in your diet will increase bile production- the substance that aid removing waste from organs to blood.

Just add any of these veggies in your salad or meal. Also make sure that they are organic or, if any chance, produced from your own backyard because market sources could be at risk from chemicals.

7. Turmeric

The spice is known to have various health benefits including the liver through producing more bile. It also detoxifies by activating enzymes that continually eliminate carcinogens we might intake in our diet.

There is powdered turmeric available in the market. Mixing it with hot water added with honey is already good to enjoy your cup.

8. Healthy Fats

Healthy fat sources like avocados, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds along with Chia seeds, flax seeds, olives and coconut are great for enlarging bile production. Prevent moist oils as they can make your liver function less. Cold-pressed organic oils like the olive and flax seeds are good lipid bases that anchor absorption of toxins.

The mentioned nuts can just be eaten raw or along with a salad as well as olive or coconut oils.

9. Green Tea

They are rich in antioxidants called catechins that improve liver function. Catechins also help in breaking down lipids in the liver and especially crucial for those with the accumulation of fats in their liver. Lastly, green tea is also a good purifier for alcohol.

Drinking 2-3 cups a day is satisfying enough. Honey can be added if desired.

10. Alternative Grains

If your diet is gluten-rich grains such as wheat or rye, it actually escalates your liver’s detox workload and enzyme production. It is better to make his job a little bit less hard, isn’t it? Other alternative grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat sure make his job a little bit easier.

A gradual switch to these kinds of grains like eating them once or twice a week while surrendering or lessening intake of wheat and the likes would give a difference in your liver health.

There you have it! There is a handful other food sources which could be just a hand-reach to you. Generally speaking, for your overall health, it is just wise to take more care of your liver. Consuming foods that are rich in fiber, antioxidants, glutathione, and healthy oils are what gives joy to your liver. It’s also good to remember to choose wisely of these kinds of food, for instance, that they should be organic. Loving liver is a lifer.

Jennifer Moran

Jennifer Moran is the author and the social media manager at HealthandFitnessVitality.com. She has been working and passionate with writing for over four years. When she isn’t glued to a laptop screen, she spends time playing tennis, practicing yoga, and trying very hard not to sleep in the meditation. You can reach her at jennifer (at) healthandfitnessvitality (dot) com. HealthandFitnessVitality.

5 Ways to Declare Peace at Home

July 3, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a fun post presented by Serta.

Declaration of Peace at Home

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sleepiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, since not all households are created equal:

I declare we will give our electronics a curfew

Swap your phones and late-night TV out for family board game night and prime reading time! Children who use devices at night that emit blue light (cell phones, TV screens, computers) reported having fewer hours of sleep per week and increased daytime sleepiness. Help your family avoid drowsiness and embrace the summer mornings feeling refreshed.

I declare we will create bedroom sanctuaries

Design your home’s bedrooms to be a relaxing oasis! For House of Harper blogger and Serta Comfort Crew member Caroline Harper Knapp, that means “lighting a candle, having fresh flowers on hand and a few favorite snapshots of our family that always brings a smile to my face.” Find what environment is most calming for you and your family!

3. 3. I declare we will skip nighttime soda

Did you know it takes around six hours for your body to get rid of just half of the caffeine from a coffee or soda? Replacing dinner time soda with low-sugar, caffeine-free alternatives will cut down on pre-bed jitters and ensure a more restful night of sleep.

I declare to pay more attention to our mattresses

Actress Jamie Lynn-Sigler recognizes the importance of a relaxing night of sleep and says her mattress is of the utmost importance, which is why she partnered with Serta. The Serta® Perfect Sleeper® mattress is the only official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation and is engineered to help common summer sleep issues like tossing and turning, sleeping too hot and partner disturbance.

I declare we will establish a nighttime routine

With longer days and brighter nights, it’s harder to get yours kids to wind down during bedtime. Establishing a nighttime routine with relaxing activities like taking a bath and reading a book will help prepare both you and your children for a full night of rest. The National Sleep Foundation says a nighttime routine will help cue your child’s brain that it’s time to go to sleep.

Ten At Home Chemistry Projects

June 20, 2017 by Momstart 10 Comments

Since summer is in session and we all have kids to entertain, why not combine fun with science. We surfed the internet to find 10 different at home chemistry projects. These ten easy at home chemistry projects you can do with your kids. Remember safety, read all the directions, make sure you have all the ingredients and make sure you have fun learning as a family. It’s a great way to keep brain drain away, and keep up with STEM work. Science and math are great ways to keep kids going and thinking all summer long. Plus it’s just FUN.

Chemistry Projects

10 Chemistry Projects

1. Mentos & Soda Fountain:

2. Erupt a baking soda volcano

3. Uncover the chemistry of blood

4. How chemistry is involved in the game of baseball

5. Make Home made slime

6. Ice Cream in a Baggie

7. Discover Liquid Density

8. Cleaning Pennies

9. Discover Crystals with Rock Candy

10. Make Home Made Giant Bubbles

Dow Chemical, a leading global partner of the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, has produced three videos, showcasing three different at-home experiments you can do as a family and use as a way to get kids and students excited about the power of chemistry and science in their everyday lives. I included links to three of their videos in the list above, the one about making a volcano, the chemistry of blood and how chemistry is involved in the game of baseball. The stars of the videos include Derrick Pitts, Chief Astronomer and Planetarium Director for TFI, and Dr. Katie Hunt, Director of Innovation Sourcing & Sustainable Technologies at Dow Chemical, as well as special guest, Dr. Ken Mistry.

We decided to try making a volcano at home as our first at home chemistry project. Making a volcano at home is super easy. All you need is Baking Soda and Vinegar and food coloring for fun.

5 Hidden Benefits of Playing Board Games

May 17, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

5 Hidden Benefits of Playing Board Games

Weekends are perfect occasions to pull out your favorite board games and get the entire family to join the table for a great game night. The cherry moments of playing together can be a wonderful learning experience for everyone – be them kids or adults or senior citizens. The magical power of board games benefits you in several ways even without your knowledge.

Aren’t you interested to know the hidden benefits of playing board games?

1. Keeps Your Mind Sharp

Don’t sit relaxed thinking you’re keeping yourself active by physical exercise. Your brain too needs exercise to be active, especially in old age, to reduce chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. No, no, you don’t need to go back to school or tuition to boost your brain power. Reminisce old board games, which you would love to play in childhood. It’s time to start with them again to let your brain practice important skills. If you think it’s kiddish, let me explain this to you.

Old, retired people often run through depression because they suddenly find themselves to be too free and cannot cope with the situation and feel miserable. Board games drive away their feeling of insecurity by taking them in a joyful play ride where they can spend unlimited hours with co-players interacting. It aids them to continually brush up their STEM, social, intellectual, and creative skills that start fading away in old age.

2. Brings Different Generations Together

The best way to spend time with children is to join them in play. You can burn all your stress spending some happy hours of playing board games with them. Kids always seek for company to play. Old family members also wonder how to pass the time.

How about a board game table and three generations, grand parents, parents, and kids, sitting together to spend some amazing moments together? If kids get the opportunity to interact with grand parents through board games, they will learn great values. From other aspect what can be the better way to develop a feeling of existential security among elders?

3. Aids in Child Development

Board games have immense contribution in overall child development. These games not only build educational skills in them but also inculcate valuable life lessons for their good mental health. Children continually practice logical and reasoning skills, negotiation skills, STEM Skills even without their know in the enjoyable, playful experience. They get to taste the flavor of losing and realize the meaning of true sportsmanship and team play. Moreover, the space of their strategical thinking broadens through this board game.

Children always feel warm and safe in the company of parents. You can quite easily zeal with kids in a board game table. These fun-loving hours in your company excite kids and they never feel ignored or not being loved.

4. Teaches Us to Be Calm and Patient

Usually, we all sit in a circle in a board game table and wait for our turn to come. This turn taking and waiting sometimes become difficult even for adults. This is a great lesson for everybody how to be patient. Board games also involve being interactive and strategic. It teaches us to observe initially, then judge, and finally act. Also, we get to practice good listening habit, which guides us all through our life.

5. Benefits Your Health in Several Ways

Board games carry a great therapeutic effect to cure us from several health problems. It helps our immune system to function in a much better way. You must be wondering how? The happy hours of playing board games evoke positivity in us and release stress, hence boost our immune system to function strongly. The wonderful moments of playing together make us laugh driving away any possibility of depression. Board games make us laugh, and laughter releases endorphins, which aid our muscle to relax and blood to circulate well. Proper blood circulation maintains balance in our blood pressure level.

This New, Unique Game Is Great

Do you know about the new squirrel game that is going to be launched in a few days? This tabletop game ‘It’s A Squirrel’s Life’ is going popular day by day because of its fresh theme. It will take you on a journey to a tree squirrel’s world. The unique part is that Randy Hecht’s animal loving nature inspired him to invent this game. He even intends to donate a certain percentage of proceed to local animal charities. The fund-raising campaign of this game is currently going on Kickstarter.

This educational game is for all generations to enjoy together. This game will not only grow STEM, negotiation, social, and creative skills in kids, but also will contribute in overall child development. Isn’t this a good idea to be a help to the creators of this board game? After all they’re giving back to the community in a positive way.

A Final Takeaway

You often face hardships in managing multiple responsibilities of a domestic life. Think how it will be if you don’t need to worry that much about kids and elders. Your task will be almost half.

As discussed, board games can truly contribute in shaping the personality of children and in giving positive motivation to elders. So, when are you planning to start playing?

5 Gluten Free Snacks For Camping

May 15, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

Going camping and in need of gluten free snacks? We have five great gluten free snacks perfect for going camping. Whether you are enjoying the great outdoors with family or alone, these packaged snacks are convenient and affordable additions to the adventure that won’t spoil.

5 Gluten Free Snacks for Camping

Chips
- Good Health Organic Black Bean & Rice Tortillas – perfect for munching next to the fire, these organic and gluten-free tortilla chips are a sneaky way to get in 5 veggies in every bite.
Fruit Chips
- Bare Organic Toasted Coconut Chips – baked (not dried or fried), these crunchy coconut chips are made with only 3 ingredients and are a good source of fiber.
Cookies
- Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies – delicious soft all-natural cookies, free from the top eight common allergens, packed with wholesome ingredients that boast satisfying flavor in every bit.
Chocolate – for s’mores!
- Alter Eco Dark Blackout – this simple dark chocolate bar is perfect for s’mores beside the fire after a long day hiking and exploring nature.
Popped Corn
- G.H. Cretors Popped Corn – obsessively delicious popcorn continues, with all popcorn varieties made with high-quality, real ingredients, like premium aged cheddar cheese, at the G.H. Cretors facility in Waukegan, Illinois.

5 Ways to Take Five

May 12, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I have always taken Zoe’s pictures over and over again and in this one it really looks like she’s telling me to hold on mom I need five minutes. So it made me remember how moms need to take 5. Here are 5 ways to take 5.

5 Ways to Take 5 Mom

1. Go to the store by yourself – It’s important to have time to yourself no matter how you can get it. I LOVE to leave the house when my husband gets home from work and go to the grocery store by myself. It’s so quite in the car, in the store and in my head.

2. Take an extra long bathroom break. Ok, This may sound really crazy, but just lock yourself in. Drink a glass of win, take a bath just lock the door. My kids don’t seem to know that the bathroom is a private place, I think it’s time I reminded them.

3. Read a book. The only time that it’s actually quiet in the house is when the kids are reading. Tell them to grab a book, or just grab one yourself. Reading is a peaceful thing to do. Of course you could also paint, or take up whatever hobby relaxes you.

4. Have a you day, a spa day or get your hair cut. Go out and do something that makes you feel pretty and relaxed. I love going to the spa but it doesn’t happen very often. I also love to get my hair done. It’s nice to have someone else do it.

5. Have a girl’s night out or in. Girl talk and relaxing with friends is sometimes the very best medicine.

10 Gift Ideas for Five Different Moms

May 10, 2017 by Momstart 1 Comment

Here are 10 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Five Different Types of moms.

There are so many different types of moms out there and we all like different things. My sister for examples loves fresh flowers and I love potted plants. My mom loves jewelry and my stepmom loves house décor. What type of mom is your mom? Maybe she’s the type that likes experiences?

With Mother’s Day this Sunday, Vivid Seats is offering last-minute gift ideas for every type of Mom beyond the traditional flowers and box of chocolates. From the “Drama Mom,” who can recite every word from Les Misérables to the “Groupie Mom,” who won’t miss a concert and wants to relive popular songs in the 70s, Vivid Seats has tickets to see some of the greatest theater shows, comedy shows and concerts in the nation including tickets to Wicked, Hamilton, Gladys Knight, Tom Petty, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel and others.

The Drama Mama

For the Mom that can recite every word from Les Misérables or belts out “Don’t Rain on My Parade” at the drop of a hat, Vivid Seats has some impressive options for theater addicts:

Tickets to see Wicked – one of the most popular shows in the theater world – the Broadway production will continue through at least Sept. 2017, with more than 20 cities on tap to host the show in the year ahead.
To really out-do your siblings, Hamilton is running on Broadway, San Francisco and Chicago.

The Soul Sister

Why not send the queen of your family to the “Empress of Soul?” Gladys Knight is on tour through the end of the year!

The Rocker Mom

For the Mom who didn’t always rock a sweater set, but loves the genre!

Take your Mom back to her glory days with classic rocker Tom Petty, who is touring both solo and backed by The Heartbreakers.
Bono and the gang are hitting the road for a stadium tour this month so now is the time to snatch up U2 tickets!

The Funny Lady

Ditch the spa certificate and get your Mom to relax with a night of laughs from legendary comedian Jerry Seinfield.

The Groupie Mom

No one wants to think about it, but their Mom was young once. Take her down memory lane with some of these concerts:

For the last three decades, women everywhere have been falling in love with Billy Joel. Give Mom the chance to relive being his “Uptown Girl” one more time.
Calling all Carolines: Neil Diamond is on tour; the pinnacle of pop stardom. This is a great concert for some mother-daughter bonding time, all with the soundtrack to your Mom’s life in the background.

Over 10 Safety Standards Parents & Caregivers Need To Know

May 1, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Safety Standards: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know

How do we know if children’s products are safe? One way is to see what standards they have been tested to – and by whom. Standards work to provide performance requirements for products – before our children ‘test’ them in our homes. Will the product hold up over time, have hazards such as entrapment, suffocation, or sharp edges been eliminated, and will it work as intended? Some companies test their own products to a voluntary standard, while others are tested by independent third party laboratories to a federal or mandatory standard.

In the past few decades, mandatory federal safety standards have gone into effect for many products that were previously unregulated. Products that are manufactured on or after these standards went into effect meet the strongest, most current safety standards and are safer for children. Below, we’ve listed some children’s products that have federal safety standards, followed by the dates those standards went into effect:

· Cribs – Manufactured on our after June 28, 2011

· Bassinets – Manufactured on or after April 14, 2014

· Play Yards – Manufactured on or after February 28, 2013

· Bath Seats – Manufactured on or after March 24, 2014

· Infant Walkers – Manufactured on or after December 6, 2010

· Strollers – Manufactured on or after September 10, 2015

· Portable Bed Rails – Manufactured on or after December 29, 2012

· Infant Swings – Manufactured on or after May 7, 2013

· Infant Carrier Slings – Mandatory federal standard will go into effect in 2018

· Furniture – There is currently no mandatory federal safety standard designed to address tip-over hazards for furniture. In the meantime, choose dressers or chests that meet ASTM F2057 – 14, a voluntary furniture standard.

· Toys – A new federal toy standard, ASTM F963-16, went into effect on April 30, 2017. This standard replaced ASTM F963-11, which had been in place since 2011.

So now you have a list of dates – but how should you use this information when you’re out shopping, or checking the products you already own? The key is to look for the manufacture date, not the date of sale. For example, if you simply purchased a stroller after September 10, 2015, it may not meet the new federal standard. Check to make sure the products you buy or products you currently own meet these current safety standards.

Although these standards have improved the safety of many children’s products, there are other products that aren’t covered by safety standards. Some durable products, such as crib alternatives, aren’t covered by any safety standards. It’s better to stick with products that meet a standard – especially for sleeping.

Take steps to keep the kids in your life safe by choosing products that meet current standards, registering all infant and toddler products, and staying up-to-date with recalls by checking cpsc.gov. You can also report a problem with a product at SaferProducts.gov.

Carson Gaffney

Program Associate