The holiday season is full of fun and festivities but with all the excitement, accidents can happen. By taking a few simple safety steps, families can reduce the risk of injuries and focus on what matters most: enjoying time together.

Food Safety & Allergies

The holidays often revolve around food and family gatherings but for children with food allergies, celebrations can be stressful. A food allergy reaction can cause symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening. In the United States, food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting.

Tips for parents:

• Communicate clearly with teachers, nurses, family members, and friends about your child’s allergies before the event.
• Bring safe dishes your child can enjoy.
• Always have epinephrine auto-injectors on hand. It is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, which works to reverse the life-threatening symptoms.
• Practice at home so your child knows what to do if a reaction occurs.

With a little bit of preparation and awareness, families can enjoy a safe, joyful, and worry-free holiday season.

Car Safety

During this busy travel season, make sure everyone is buckled up correctly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children. NHTSA estimates car seats and proper installation of them have saved more than 11,600 children under the age of five since 1975. 

Best Car Seat for Your Child

• Rear-facing: For infants through preschoolers. Supports the head, neck, and spine until your child reaches the seat’s height or weight limit.
• Forward-facing: For preschoolers through school-age kids. Please keep them in a 5-point harness until they outgrow it.
• Booster seat: For kids who’ve outgrown a harness but aren’t ready for a seat belt. Ensures proper belt fit.
• Seat belt: The final stage is when your child is at least 4 feet 9 inches or 57 inches tall and the belt fits snugly across the hips and shoulder.

Free Car Seat Checks

Texas law requires children to ride in a safety seat until age 8 or 57 inches tall.
The Injury Prevention Collaborative offers free car seat checks by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). A CPST can help ensure a child is safely and correctly secured in their car seat. Cook Children’s Health Care System has 66 CPSTs across North Texas.  

Call 682-885-2634 or click this link https://freecarseatcheck.as.me/schedule/d3206e82.

Those without appointments will be seen on a first-come/first-served basis. You must have your child with you, unless you are an expectant parent.

Measles is highly contagious; one infected person can potentially infect 12 to 18 unvaccinated individuals. The virus spreads through infectious respiratory droplets and airborne transmission (from coughing or sneezing), where tiny droplets can remain suspended in the air.

 Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after infection. 

They can include:

• Rash
• Fever, sometimes over 104º Fahrenheit or 40 º Celsius
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Red, watery eyes
• Sore throat
• Tiredness

How do we stay safe?

The most effective prevention against measles is vaccination. The size of the virus makes it more contagious. Measles can live in the air in a room where an infected patient has been for two hours after that patient leaves.

This means that if ten unvaccinated children are in a room and one of them has measles, nine out of ten of them will likely catch the virus. 

In addition to getting vaccinated, the spread of measles can be mitigated by proper hygiene. This includes:

• Handwashing
• Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
• Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils
•  Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

What about other illnesses?

While Cook Children’s Medical Centers in Fort Worth and Prosper are not seeing an abnormal number of cases for RSV, COVID, and Flu, these illnesses can be prevented with proper hygiene as well.

It is important to speak to your primary care physician if you have any questions or concerns about vaccines. There are now vaccines to help prevent the severity of RSV, COVID, and Flu.

Where can you get immunized?
Here are a few resources and tips for finding a place to take your child for immunizations. 

• Check with your child’s doctor. Ask which vaccines are due and make an appointment. If your child needs a doctor, see our locations or call 211 for help. 
• Visit a public health vaccine clinic. Anyone from any county can call Tarrant County Public Health at 817-248-6299 to make an appointment or to find a walk-in clinic. 
• Check with your local school district for vaccine events. 
• Enter your zip code at Vaccines.gov to find other options. 
   

If a parent suspects their child may have measles, they should call the primary care doctor before arriving at the office so arrangements can be made for safety and to minimize potential exposure in the waiting room.

Easter came early to patients at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth on Friday! From eggs and goodies to arts and crafts to visits with the Easter bunny – the day was egg-stra special. 

Happy Easter from all of us at Cook Children's! 

Media partners may use this content for news stories with credit to Cook Children's.

We don’t claim to be as toy-savvy as Santa, but if there is one thing we know at Cook Children’s it’s how to make a child smile. So we’ve compiled our favorite gift ideas that are sure to bring hours of fun while also building a stronger mind, body and spirit.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa and get comfy as we help take the guesswork out of your Christmas gift list.

1. A subscription box is a gift that keeps on giving. It seems there is one for every age and interest. Have a fishing enthusiast? There’s a box for that. Does your kid love sports? There’s a box for that. Raising a future engineer or artist? Yep, you guessed it—there are boxes for those, too! Subscription boxes are delivered to your doorstep once a month for however long of a subscription you purchase, so your child will enjoy something new and entertaining well into 2022. Best of all, they’ll know that you support what interests them.

2. A custom journal is the perfect personalized gift for a teen who has a lot on their mind, but finds it easier to write it than to say it. There are multiple sources for custom journals online. Include a special pen in your child’s favorite color and you have a thoughtful gift that says “you’re one-of-a-kind and your hopes, hurts and dreams matter.”

3. Creatives love to create, so make sure they are stocked with essential tools of their trade. Art supplies for the artist. Instruments, home recording equipment or a karaoke machine for the musician. Bags, shoes and apparel for the dancer. Puppets for little performers with big imaginations. The point is to give them something that supports their talents, builds their imagination and offers them a creative outlet.

“Journaling, art, and music are all emotional expression activities,” said Lauren Lasrich, Cook Children’s Child Life specialist. “These activities can help your kids and teens connect with their emotions and be able to express them in a creative way. Giving kids an opportunity to express themselves helps reduce anxiety and stress, as well as share with those around them.”

4. If your athlete is looking to level up their game, shop for smart sports equipment. Smart soccer balls, boxing gloves, basketballs and more connect to a personal device and pair with apps that offer virtual training guides and performance tracking. It’s technology, sports training, exercise and fun all wrapped into one.

5. For the little reader in your life, books are always a good bet. Make it even more personal by putting together a basket full of favorite snacks and a new cozy blanket so that they can curl up with a good book that feeds their mind and imagination on a long winter day.

6. Plan an outing and let the experience be the gift. Wrap up items that provide clues for the experience. As your child opens each clue, have them try to guess the fun that is coming. The experience will give you both valuable time together and a special memory that will last a lifetime.

“With almost two years of isolation, spending quality time together is the best gift,” Lasrich said. “While families have spent time together during Covid, being able to safely do novel activities together is important.”

7. The pandemic made all of us home cooks. Even kiddos passed the time away from school and activities by cooking with mom and dad. Give your little chef their own kid-friendly cookbook along with an apron and cooking utensils for small hands. They’ll learn an important life skill and, in a few years, will be cooking dinner for you. That’s what we call a win-win!

8. Robots are all the rage. Kids can build them, code them and interact with them, and they’ll be learning important science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills along the way. There are tons of options on the market for just about every age and skill level. Work together with your child to build it and you might learn a few new STEM skills, too.

9. Winter is coming and that means kids will be spending more time inside with less opportunity to release energy and exercise, so give them a screen-free movement activity they can do indoors. Think table tennis. You don’t have to spring for an actual regulation-size table. You can purchase a kit with paddles and a net that attaches to your kitchen table, or any table you’re willing to turn into a ping-pong court. A weekend tournament on a cold, dreary Saturday spells fun for the whole family. Not into table tennis? Consider a hovering or sliding soccer ball made for indoor use to get those little feet moving.

10. Give JOY. Kids have been through a lot the past few years. The best gift you can give them throughout this season is the encouragement and opportunity to Just breathe, Open up, and know that You matter. Bake cookies together. Build a gingerbread house. Go for a car ride to look at Christmas lights. Shop together for a gift for someone in need. Whatever you do, seize the moment to check in and connect with the ones you love.

Happy shopping! From our Cook Children’s tribe to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with hope today for JOY tomorrow.

With more adults across the country getting a COVID-19 vaccine, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is vital to keep in mind that children 16 and younger cannot yet get vaccinated, and we all must do our part to protect them.

In an interview on Monday with Lauren Zakalik from WFAA, Justin Smith, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Pediatrics Trophy Club, warns, “the risk outweighs the benefit of large gatherings for Easter because all children are not yet vaccinated.”

Dr. Smith says he understands parents are eager to let their children spend time with their fully-vaccinated grandparents and family members; however, it’s essential to take extreme caution this weekend and for the near future. 

“Anyone at a gathering who isn’t vaccinated could potentially bring the disease to the gathering,” Dr. Smith warns. “It is necessary to still follow the guidelines in place and not gather with several households until everyone can get vaccinated.”

Another critical point to remember is not only could spending time with other households potentially be a space to spread COVID-19, taking your children to large Easter egg hunts and other Easter festivities could also prove to be problematic.

“Social distancing can be challenging and it's likely there will be a lot of people unmasked,” Dr. Smith said.

As a physician and a father of three, Dr. Smith says large gatherings of any kind this Easter are not something he would be comfortable with his children or his patients doing.

“We are closer to the end of this than we’ve ever been, and I think we can make decisions for a short-term now that could potentially get us to the end,” Dr. Smith said. “I’m nervous about really trying to get back to normal right now when it feels like we’re so close, because I’m afraid it could set us back.”

While Texas has opened up vaccines to everyone 16 and older, it is not clear when younger children will begin to receive vaccinations. “Just like we’ve been doing for a year, we are advising adults to use caution and choose activities that are done in the safest way possible,” Dr. Smith explains.

Get to know Justin Smith, M.D.

1. Books!

For infants and toddlers, there are chew-proof, waterproof, rip-proof brands of books available. Just do a quick Goolgle search. Classics like Dr. Seuss, Little Critter, and Curious George still are favorites too.

For elementary age and teens, start them on a series based on their interests. American Girl, Magic Treehouse, The Land of Stories, Eerie Elementary, The Babysitters Club, Survivors, Warriors, Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, Humphrey, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Captain Underpants, Dog Man, Wings of Fire, and The Hardy Boys are all excellent options.

2. An Activity Center

Great for keeping infants busy while you’re able to get other things done. Do NOT use a walker, this puts the baby’s hips in the wrong position and delays walking.

3. Blocks

All sorts of blocks are available online and in stores these days. Just make sure they are appropriate to prevent choking risk.

4. Board Games

Games are a great option to create family time away from screens. If you played a board or card game as a kid, chances are your child will enjoy it.

5. Bike

Tricycle, Bicycle, Scooter. Make sure it is age and size appropriate for your child, and they MUST WEAR A HELMET!

6. Arts & Crafts

Paints, sand art, beads, diamond painting, suncatchers, rainbow scratch paper, molding clay, candle making, origami, felt sewing craft kit. Low-cost dollar stores often sell wooden figures to paint, so that’s a great place to stock up on cheap and easy crafting projects.

7. Fort Building Kit

Buy one or several kits for the kiddos to make an awesome fort, tear it down, and then make again in a different way!

8. Sports equipment

Basketball goal, soccer ball and goal, baseball tee, ballet barre. Let your children pursue their current sport of interest and invest in increasing their skills and confidence.

Notice the above listed toys do not suggest any electronics. The only game system game I would recommend is one where they are up and active the entire time. Remember, aside from school work, your child should have less than two hours per day on any screen including: phone, TV, gaming system, and computer. Your child would rather spend the time with you, playing a board game or being active outside, than sitting by themselves playing on a game system.

Have a very Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and enjoy any and all other celebrations your family takes part in!

Stitch-a-Wish, the volunteer sewing, knitting and crocheting group for Cook Children's, generously provided the most fragile babies with original designs, such as a pumpkin, candy corn and Mr. Incredible. 

Here are 12 day-ngers of Christmas:

1. Fireplace - Lighting a fire is one of my favorite winter time activities but it can be very dangerous for kids. Young children should always be supervised when around the fire and you should have them inspected regularly to prevent potential problems.
2. Candles – If you’re anything like my wife, the first thing you want to do when you get home is light a candle. The smells can really put you in the Christmas spirit but little hands love to explore flames and hot wax can be just as dangerous.
3. Small decorations – Small decorations (manger scenes or small tree ornaments) can be a significant choking hazard this time of year. Because they are often colorful and shiny, they can be spotted from across the house and crawling babies will find them.
4. Glass decorations – Little feet and crawling knees get glass in them frequently this time of year. A solid barrier around the tree and keeping fragile ornaments up high can help.
5. Stocking holders – Heavy stocking hangers can be a risk for kids as they reach up to pull down on the stocking and the heavy holder can cause skull fractures and bruises. Use lighter hooks, tape or otherwise secure the holders in some other way. It could even knock out your child’s two front teeth.
6. Tree allergies – Kids can be allergic to trees and this is the only time of year where we bring in a gigantic live allergen into our homes. If you are an allergic type family, think about an artificial tree; especially if your kid always end up miserable around Christmas-time.
7. Christmas tree water – Yes, kids will drink water anywhere they find it. The Christmas tree base is the perfect height for a crawling baby to lap it right up. Find kid safe tree nutrients or make sure that they are kept away from the base.
8. Holly/mistletoe berries – The old time fear of poinsettias may be true if your child ingests several flowers which can lead to abdominal cramping but the real risk is holly berries. Ingestion can cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhea from even just a berry or two.
9. Unstable tree base – Make sure that your tree is properly installed and the base is broad enough to prevent tip over if a child decides to do some indoor tree climbing practice or is rockin' around it.
10. Ladders – The process of decorating can be just as enjoyable as the decorations themselves. But ladder falls are common …your child doesn’t need to see you toppling over so be careful amateurs. Also be sure and put them away after each use so that little kids don’t decide that they can “help” later.
11. Electrical outlets – This time of year new things need to be plugged in and unplugged but don’t forget about your plug covers and electrical safety. Keep the cover nearby and replace it each time you unplug that tree or other decoration.
12. Hot drinks – Decorating and celebrating Christmas means more hot chocolate and apple cider but wandering little hands are eager to see what’s in that colorful mug…

This time of year can be amazing as a family…but stay alert.

When your baby is in a new house or environment be extra vigilant.

Take precautions as you deck the halls to prepare for safety at home.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Both can be a self-destructive losing battle.

Guilt is a negative emotion and often unhealthy – it can make anyone unhappy, dissatisfied and unproductive. For parents, guilt comes in all forms and I can especially relate to working moms. After all, I’m one myself. According to AmericanProgress.org women make up half of the workforce in the U.S.

Care.com found that 80 percent of working moms feel stressed about balancing child care, work, home and relationships.

It's important to understand there are a multitude of reasons why a mom is in the workplace. Some women may be the sole or primary breadwinner, others work because they can't afford child care and some work because they know that working will help them be a better parent.

It's critical for us as women and mothers not to pass judgement, but rather be supportive of all working women regardless of whether they are an employed mom or a stay at home mom. All mothers are working mothers!

But for the purposes of this article, I will focus on helping employed moms feel better about their decision to work. Often that requires us to look at the definition of what being a good mother is - a good mother is not determined by the number of hours we spend with our children. It's more about ensuring our children that they are wanted, valued and loved.

Working moms, by their example alone, can teach their children the value of hard work, ambition, independence and self-reliance.

The struggle that many working moms ask of themselves, me included, is there a way to balance work and being a mom? While it's a challenge, there are some things that working moms can do to help.

1. First and foremost is to realize we can’t do it all! We absolutely have to let go of some things, especially the unrealistic expectations. It's important to identify every household member’s needs and obligations and to realistically prioritize them. By changing our expectations, we can change other’s expectations of us.
2. We are bombarded with “expert” advice on what we “should” do to be a “good parent.” The bar that has been set for defining what a good parent should do is often ridiculously high and unrealistic. It is critical to remember we do not have to have gourmet meals on the table every night to qualify that we meet the good parent standard. What is most important, as noted previously is to make sure our children know they are very much wanted, loved and valued.
3. We have to enlist everyone’s cooperation and assign responsibilities, even to our children provided they are developmentally appropriate. When our kids were of school age, my husband and I shared the carpool responsibilities, as well as household duties.
4. When we are with our children it's very important to be present and intentional with them. Remove or minimize distractions, be engaged and interested in them. Set aside special time with each child, even if it's a few minutes a day. My son who is a grown man still talks about our hot chocolate/coffee stops as I would take him to elementary school.
5. Create special family activities that nurture each other, but create activities that fit into your schedule and budget. This might be a family board game night, baking cookies or reading a book together. Children also deeply value traditions – creating your own traditions with each child and as a family are very important.
6. Working moms often feel guilty about working and want to make their children happy. Our goal as parents is to raise our children to be responsible adults, which means we set realistic expectations, we assign responsibilities and chores, we follow through with consequences and we teach life lessons.
7. Learn how to set boundaries and how to express those boundaries in a kind way. It’s Ok if you can’t attend every PTA or school function during the day. Communicate that you would love to help and then provide for them the manner in which you can help and in that communication, include your time constraints.
8. Forgive yourself if something does not get accomplished or completed in the manner you had desired. By accepting responsibility and being flexible you are setting an example for your child that we all make mistakes, but we need to be accountable and responsible for them.
9. Create time for yourself and take care of yourself. You will not be good for anyone if you do not take care of yourself.
10. Utilize resources and supports. One of your best resources and support systems are other mothers. Find a local support group on the web or create one with your friends and/or co-workers who can share tips with and/or ask for help and ideas. Find daycares/providers that will assist with homework. Share carpooling responsibilities with other parents. Hire trusted and competent high school or college students to help with facilitating transportation to other activities.

Consider all of these options to help relieve the stress and provide more quality time with your children.

Remember what is most critical is to ensure our children that they are wanted, valued and loved, while raising them to be responsible adults.

This week presented an excellent opportunity for me to return the favor.

Our family chose to cancel our usual family Christmas. Not because the kids were bad and we’re not rewarding them. Not because we were frustrated with how commercialized it has become and are taking a stand. 

Actually, the rest of our extended family all got together and opened presents on the Sunday before Christmas as usual. We just didn’t go this year.

So, why didn’t we participate?

Flu.

Since I have been a practicing pediatrician, I have somehow avoided bringing the flu home. Whether it was luck or blessing or whatever you want to call it, we have been spared, until this year. My two boys have the flu.

So why didn’t we go?

Believe me, skipping the excitement and fun of watching our kids with their cousins is heartbreaking. This is the first year that all of our kids seem to know something is different about this time of year and Christmas at my grandmothers is always one of the highlights.

But, taking a risk with the rest of our family is not worth it and it should not be for you either. If your child is sick, find some other way to celebrate that doesn’t put others at risk. 

Think about those people who are most at risk from complications of the flu: children under 5 years (especially under 2, all the new babies out there), adults over 65 years (grandma and grandpa), pregnant women (your cousin’s first baby) and people with chronic medical conditions. These are just the types of people who it’s hard to stay away from at Christmastime.

We will make the best of today and pray that we are all better come Christmas Day. You should do the same.

About the author

Justin Smith, M.D., is a Cook Children's pediatrician in Lewisville . View more from The Doc Smitty at his Facebook page. He attended University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School and did his pediatric training at Baylor College of Medicine. He joins Cook Children's after practicing in his hometown of Abilene for four years. He has a particular interest in development, behavior and care for children struggling with obesity. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his 3 young children, exercising, reading and writing about parenting and pediatric health issues.

We have all read books on taking care of ourselves but if you are like me you think that the person who wrote these have no idea what your life is like. Well, I have read some of the latest and greatest coping mechanisms on how to get through this busy season and I can tell you some are pretty farfetched. But one of the most important things I read asked me to look at the holidays through the eyes of a child. Imagine when you were young and the excitement that you felt during this time of year. I wanted to share some of my thoughts on how to accomplish this.

1. Be realistic. Not everything has to be perfect. The memories we want our children to remember are the fun times, not that everything had to be perfect because relatives/friends were coming over. I remember when my parents were coming to visit I cleaned my house from top to bottom. I spent several days making sure everything was spotless and stressed out if things got out of place before they arrived. To tell you the truth my house was never really dirty…it was my issue not theirs. Now that I am older and wiser I would have done things differently.

2. Remember, things don’t have to be the same every year. If in the past few years you spent three days baking because this is “what your mother did,” or because everyone likes your cookies, it’s time to make a change. Think about what cookies people like the most and focus on only one of two different kinds. This is easier than making 10 different batches, and spending days in the kitchen. I was never a baker but I did try every year to bake sugar cookies. This was a fun time for me and my boys. I remember rolling out the dough and them cutting out shapes to put on the cookie sheet. I got smart later and bought store bought dough and icing. We still had as much fun making our cookies as we did making them by scratch.

3. Then there’s holiday shopping. If the thought of fighting traffic and standing in long lines stress you out, remember that the longer you put this off the worse the situation is going to get in the stores. Try to shop early next year, if you can, and maybe go late at night or early in the morning. Most stores have extended hours, but please be careful if you are going out by yourself. Also for next year, some stores now have layaway so even if you can’t afford to purchase all the gifts, you can put them on layaway and get them out closer to Christmas Day. I would put the kids to bed; kiss my husband good bye and head to the store with my good friend. We had so much fun out late at night by ourselves and didn’t have to fight the weekend shopping rush.

4. Please enjoy the season. When you are working at home, play a holiday CD and sing along with it. I remember as a young child my mom playing “I saw mama kissing Santa Clause” and her singing along with it. To this day if I hear this song those childhood memories come flooding back.

5. Decorating our homes can also cause us added stress. Think about what is important to the family, what has always been the family tradition and pick one day and get it done. I always tried to make this a fun time for my family when my boys were young and I hope they have good memories of us putting up the tree. Our tree was never perfect, but it was decorated with love each year.

6. One of the most important things to remember is to take some time for you. We are generally so rushed during the month of December we tend to forget about ourselves and spend all our time and energy focusing on everyone else. One of my favorite things to do during this time of year is to read a Christmas romance novel. These generally are less than 100 pages long and are just “feel good” books. I love to grab a blanket, my book, and a hot cup of coco and lose myself for a few hours. I love a good Christmas romance novel. Just makes me feel good.

7. Now, all that grocery shopping. I am not one who generally makes a list, but this time a year I try to do this. I hate to forget something and have to go back. This takes some planning and thinking ahead. Again, most stores have extended hours and this may be a good time to hit the grocery stores. Preparing for our holiday dinners has always been a stressful time for me. I don’t like to grocery shop, and I get disturbed at the prices of some items. I am a very frugal person so I don’t mind buying the store brand. Most of the times these products work well and nine times out of 10 no one know’s the difference.

8. Now what about holiday cards? This is one area that I am not very good at. I love to get cards from family and friends, but generally find myself writing my cards and not mailing them, or putting it off to the last minute and then it’s too late to get them in the mail. My sisters all write Christmas letters. I generally can’t remember what I did yesterday let alone for the past year. One suggestion that I read is to purchase the cards as soon as they show up in the stores…for me this would be when I need to purchase stamps too. Start by attaching your return address sticker to the cards, and place stamps on them. Now when you have a few minutes address and sign a few cards at a time. You might not want to seal the cards until later. This way you can go back and jot a note if you want to. If you run out of time you just seal the cards and get them in the mail.

9. Now for the hard stuff. Don’t let the holidays become an excuse for you to overeat. I know that when I overdo it I tend to be unhappy with myself, and find that this habit only adds to my stress. Try to remember to get plenty of exercise and drink plenty of water. If you know you are going to a holiday party, try to eat a healthy snack before you arrive, this way you won’t overeat after you get to the party.

10. My final suggestion is to just have fun. Remember our kids are only young once and the memories we are making today will stay with them always. Please take time and enjoy your family and the holiday activities. Don’t let the outside demands take away your holiday spirit. Readjusting our thinking and taking time for ourselves and families can help you have a less stressful holiday season.

About the author

Allyn Cary is the manager of Social Work. The social worker’s focus is on the family. They work with doctors, nurses and other hospital staff to make sure the patient's and family’s needs and concerns are addressed so that the child’s ongoing health care needs are met. Social Workers have specialized training to assist families in times of physical, emotional, and financial stress. They are well informed about available resources in the community so they can support families in need.

There are so many different toys available these days, and it’s difficult to choose toys that your children will enjoy, but are also beneficial to their learning and development. Below are a few ideas of toys that will encourage the appropriate developmental skills by age group:

• Birth to 6 months: Young babies will benefit from rattles and other toys that are easy to grasp with tiny hands. Unbreakable mirrors will help your baby to visually focus and promote social and emotional development. Remember that all toys will go into their mouth at this age, so make sure all toys are safe. Tummy time is essential for developing gross motor skills and neck strength, and there are many different tummy time floor mats available.
• 7-12 months: Older babies are very interested in exploring their environment and love interactive toys. Cause and effect toys, or toys that make a response when touched, are great for learning at this age. Toys that move, such as push toys, pull toys and large balls will help your child learn to crawl and walk. Small drool-proof books with pictures will encourage bonding time with your children and develop language as you read to them.
• Toddlers (1-3 years): Toddlers are quickly learning language, fine and gross motor skills. Dolls, puppets and dress up clothes are great for pretend play and language development. Blocks, cars and puzzles will work on fine motor skills and develop hand strength. Ride on toys will develop coordination, leg strength and trunk strength. Balls for kicking, throwing and catching can advance hand-eye coordination.
• Preschoolers (4-5 years): Bicycles, tricycles and balls of all sizes are great for kids in the preschool age. It’s important to keep kids active so that they are learning coordination and balance skills. Make sure you include a helmet for safety! Video games, movies and computer/tablet games may be on your child’s wish list, but remember to limit screen time to 30-60 minutes per day. Board games are a good way to encourage play with family members as well as friends. They are also great for taking turns, learning rules and developing fine motor skills as you manipulate small pieces or dice.

About the author

Amanda Whitmire PT, DPT, is a physical therapist at Cook Children's. Physical therapy at Cook Children's focuses on large motor and functional skils to enhance development, restore function and prevent disability from pediatric conditions, illness or injury. Cook Children's has Rehabilition Services in locations in Fort Worth, Hurst and most recently in Mansfield.