Allstate Foundation: Drive it Home #DriveitHome #CGC

2013

Take a second to think about this question….What do you think is the #1 killer of teenagers?

“One of the most dangerous years in a person’s life is the first 12 months after getting a driver’s license. Annually, there are about two million teens under the age of 18 in their first year of driving on U.S. roads, the National Safety Council (NSC) reports.”

Car crashes! And although all these should be done while driving the leading cause of crashes is not texting while driving, it’s not risk taking…it IS inexperience.

According to a new Allstate Foundation Survey taken in Arizona:

“Parents believe that risk-taking is the primary cause of crashes, when inexperience is the real issue. Only 24% of Arizona parents say a teen’s lack of driving experience is the top cause of crashes. The national average is 18%”

In Arizona, for example, must log in a minimum of 30 practice hours before they can obtain a drivier’s license. That simply is not enough! Required or not, the safest way for your new driver to continue learning skills is for you to ride with them as they practice, for a full year after they get their license.

I had the opportunity to attend the Drive It Home Show in Phoenix last week with some family and friends. The Drive It Home Show is giving parents a fun look at the serious subject of teen driving and stopping in 14 cities across the country. Presented by the world renowned Second City Communicaitons and safety experts we were able to learn what real hazards teens face on the road, how to better coack teen drivers and learn about state teen driving laws particular to our state. And can I say, this was a good slap in the face for me. Everyone can improve their driving and I may not have any teen drivers in my house now, but I associate with a lot of teen drivers and eventually I will have my own teen drivers living in my house. I have things I need to improve in my own driving skills and the show brought to light some lifesaving tips that I had not even thought about.

If you have a teen driver now, the Allstate Foundation and the National safety Council have launched Drive It Home for you. It is an interactive website designed by parents for parents that offers engaging videos, practice tips and other valuable resources, like parent teen driving agreements/contracts.

For example, here are few lifesaving tips from driveithome.org:

Drive at least 30 minutes each week with a newly licensed teen.
Practice specific skills together and provide teens with feedback in the following critical areas:
- Scanning the road ahead to recognize and respond to hazards.
- Controlling speed, stopping, turning and following distance.
- Judging the gap between vehicles in traffic – such as when exiting parking lots and making left-hand turns.
- Managing the highest driving risks, such as nighttime driving and with young passengers in the car.

“Research from The Allstate Foundation shows nearly half of parents express regret about not monitoring their teen driver after they get a license, and more than two-thirds wish they spent more time practicing driving with their teen in high-risk situations.”

While at the show I took a few notes: Drive the way you want your children to drive. A new driver should have at least 60 hours of practice before getting their license. Spend a lot of time practicing driving at night. No passengers for the first year. Do not let your children drive in a car with a new driver. And turn your phone off while driving…if I practice this now, my kiddos will know to do it when they start driving. I am their biggest teacher and I should drive the way I want them to drive.

Geesh! I didn’t think I could write so much about this. It really made an impact on my thinking. Just to hit it home here are some additional videos to check out.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Tips

Wet Socks – Sick Day Necessities {Part 1}

2013

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hydrotherapy for feet

Okay it sounds weird, but give it a try before you make fun of it…When we get sick around here one of the first things we give a try (at least on the kiddos) is this Wet Sock Treatment. I had a lady teach me this method a few years ago. She said it was considered to be like a natural “Children’s Tylenol”. I was desperate to give some relief to a sick 3 year old and so I gave it a try. Much to my surprise it worked! We have been using it ever since.

We use Wet Socks for sore throats, congestion and for bringing down fevers just to name a few. Wet socks add just a little comfort when medicine may not be necessary. I would like to note that I am not a medical professional, this is just a tool we have used and had success with. We will usually give this a try and if it does not work, we go for the medicine.

I recently was going through my old stuff and found a printout that she gave me. As we have been fighting our own colds around here, I thought it would be nice to share it with you. I hope it will help you find some relief, too.

Wet Sock Treatment

(Also known as Hydrotherapy For The Feet)

**This treatment is best if repeated three night in a row, or more often as instructed by your physician.

What Does The Wet Sock Treatment Do?

This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, the throat and head. It has a sedating action and may help with sleep. The wet sock treatment is known in some circles as “Children’s Tylenol” as it is effective for pain relief, relaxation, and increases the healing response during acute infections.

When To Use

The following are all common ailments for Wet Sock Treatments: Sore throat, or any inflammation or infection of the throat, fever, neck pain, ear infections, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, bronchitis, sinus infections, and upper respiratory infections.

Precautions

This treatment should be comfortable you should NOT get chilled during this treatment. Keep warm either in a bed or wrapped in a blanket.

What You Need

1 pair of coton socks
1 pair of thick wool socks (we used my husband’s old hiking socks)

Directions:

Step 1: If feet are cold, warm the feet first for 5 minutes by taking a hot shower or bath, or by using a heating pad. No warming is necessary if you have a fever. Dry off completely before continuing

Step 2: Soak the cotton socks completely in cold water. Be sure to wring out the socks thoroughly so they do not drip. If the dry wool socks become saturated with water, the wet socks are too wet.

Step 3: Place cold socks on feet. Cover with thick wool socks. Go directly to bed and cover up completely with your blanket.

Step 4: Keep the socks on overnight. You will find that the wet socks will be dry in the morning. If you wake up during the night and the socks are already dry, treatment can be repeated before going back to sleep.

CAUTION: If you get chilled during this treatment, discontinue immediately!

ALSO, sometimes we add essential oils to the bottom of feet or rub some vapor rub on them before we put the socks on.

Top photo courtesy of luigi diamanti/ freedigitalphotos.com

Filed Under: All Ages, Health, Tips

Applications Open for Exclusive Review Panel

2012

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I love entering giveaways and even better, winning stuff! I have actually been pretty successful considering I have limited my entering to just a few sites. One of these sites that I enter for giveaways on is HappyFreebie. It’s different from other giveaway sites and I love how easy it is to enter. There are only a few entries available for each giveaway. Simple and to the point. Who doesn’t love that?!?!

As HappyFreebie just launched earlier this year, they are ready to expand and are looking to create a small exclusive review panel of 15 internet savvy shoppers and writers. Being a part of the panel has some very fun perks, too, in my opinion!

Panel Perks:

Review opportunities
A budget for Pinterest Parties
An invite to attend their yearly company meetings in vacation destinations throughout the world.

There are more details over on the site and the application is simple to fill out.

Hop on over HappyFreebie to learn more and to apply!

Don’t think you have what it takes? You never know, so just apply!

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: Tips

Free Admission to the Arizona Science Center

2012

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Note: The following tip I just heard about is for Arizona Residents. If your state has a program similar to this (other than the library summer reading program), let me know and I am more than happy to share it!

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Attention Arizona Residents!

Every child who reads 5 books (with or without a parent) can earn free admission to the Arizona Science Center. This is available for any child 11th grade in school and under (and yes, any child under age 5 counts!). Check out the Governor’s Summer Reading Program for more specifics on the book requirements for each age group.

I was expecting the list to be difficult reading choices, but was pleasantly surprised. This is definitely something we can do.

This is in addition to the regular library summer reading program. So, double the summer fun!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: Tips

Asking The Right Questions

2011

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This is an amazing video that seriously changed my way of thinking. After reading last Wednesday’s guest post, Hold Your Tongue, by Rachel, I was reminded that I wanted to share it with you all and had not done it, yet! I first saw this video back in June and I do not think a day has gone by that I have not thought about or referred to something I learned from this speaker. It is applicable to every situation in your life. I will warn you that it is just under 20 minutes, but it is worth it. So, if you are someone who can not just sit and watch something, grab a snack, do dishes, fold laundry or paint your toenails and watch this! You will thank me later. I promise.

The speaker is Rachael Herrscher from TodaysMama speaking at TEDx event in Salt Lake City.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: Tips

Hold Your Tongue

2011

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I‘m very happy to be guest posting here at Fun On A Dime! I think embracing the small, simple, imperfect happy moments in our lives is what it is all about. I would be honored to share with you one of the lessons in my mothering journey that truly stopped me in my tracks and made me change my entire perspective. The original story was posted on my blog Sweet Spontaneous over a year ago, but I do not exaggerate when I say that hardly a day goes by that I do not remember this incident, and use it to remind myself to slow down…

to ask more questions…

and to take just that one extra breath to allow me to find the hidden beauty in my children, my life, and myself.

My middle child is a complicated child. She is contrary. She is volatile. She is mercurial, temperamental, a moving target. She does many things that are utter mysteries to me, and I usually assume that she does them specifically to try my patience. (I still think I am right most of the time).

One of her many quirks is that she removes her shoes (and socks, and hat, and sweater, and bracelet, and purse, and hairbow, all worn at her insistence – but let’s just talk about the shoes for now) at every possible opportunity. She must put them on and take them off 50 times a day. And lately, even when I can get her to wear shoes, she refuses to fasten them. She walks around with the velcro straps undone and flapping in the breeze. I have often wondered if she just forgets to fasten them, or if she relishes the knowledge that as soon as she sits down somewhere she can get them off just that much faster, or if she just likes to see my blood vessels pop out as I ask her please, one more time, if she would please put her shoes *all the way* on.

Tonight we were walking through the PF Chang’s parking lot for Mother’s Day dinner, the bigger two children several steps ahead of us. David, smiling, asked me if I knew why Eve left her shoes unfastened.

“No”, I replied, quickly escalating the conversation to vent status, summoning to my memory all the times I had had to find the “other” shoe, how many hundred pairs I had carried in from the car after being thoughtlessly discarded there. “I have no idea why. She does it everywhere we go, and she is so reluctant when I ask her to fix them! I think it must be just”-

“I asked her today. She does it because she is hoping if she leaves them undone, one of her shoes will fall off. Like Cinderella.”

That just totally blew my mind.

My daughter – my sweet, blonde, humming, dancing, living-in-her-own-private-universe daughter – was holding this little secret in her heart, and I almost missed it.

Because I never took the time to ask.

Because I assumed the worst of her.

Because I couldn’t shut my own mouth and just listen.

Lucky for me, tomorrow is a new day, and I am absolutely confident she has more delightful secrets that I hope I can be privileged to discover.

If I can just listen.

Rachel is a mom of three who loves to write, cook, practice yoga (so she can calmly allow her childrens’ insanity to wash over her like waves on the ocean), and run (so she can get away from them quickly in case the yoga thing doesn’t work out!)