This marks the unofficial end of summer. Do your plans involve one last family vacation with the family?  While having fun is your goal, don’t forget to keep your kids safe. Here are some some basic safety tips for you to keep in mind:

  • BBQ Season: Labor Day usually means grilling out. As much as your kids wants to be a part of the fun, remember safety first!  Always make sure that the barbecue is in a safe place, where kids won’t touch or bump into it. Keep in mind that the barbecue will still be hot after you finish cooking, and anyone contacting the barbecue could be burned.
  • Summer Safety for Kids: Although the end of summer is near, it’s still pretty darn hot in many parts of the country. Don’t forget to keep your kids cool and protected with sun screen at all times this weekend.
  • Car Safety Tips: Do not leave your kids unattended in a car!  Its just that simple!
  • Air Travel: Car seats are now allowed on flights.  Infants deserve the same protection as their parents.

Hopefully, you are one of the lucky people who have Labor Day off. If so, enjoy your day off with the kids!

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Hey, organized Mamas, Yes, You!  Here are a few iPhone apps that will continue to keep you organized and your lil’ ones happy.

  • BABY GEEK ($.99; iTunes) – Keeps record of every diaper change, nap, feeding and milestones
  • BABY NAMES PLUS ($2.99; iTunes) –  Search names by gender, origin, popularity, or meaning and save your favorites
  • IWRITE WORDS ($2.99; iTunes) – Shows your preschooler how to write letters
  • COUNT DOWN FREE (Free; iTunes) – Allows you to customize the event you are gearing up for, ie., birth, child’s first birthday, etc
  • BABY MONITOR ($4.99; iTunes) – Listen in on your lil one from another room
  • BABY TRANSLATOR ($1.99; iTunes) – Tells you what your lil’ one is trying to communicate from his goo goos

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Feeding time is the perfect opportunity to get yourself into the shot. This week ask your partner, a grandparent, or a friend to hold the camera or use a tripod and self-timer while you do the feeding. Experiment with wide shots to show the details of the room – high chair, table, and surrounding mealtime mess.

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What would you do if you saw a baby in the backseat of a car unattended?

ABC News “What Would You Do?” wanted to see what ordinary people would do if they came upon a baby left alone in the backseat on a hot – 80 degree weather – summer day.

A bystander finds what appears to be a sleeping baby inside a hot car, not knowing that she is part of a “What Would You Do?” social experiment. The baby inside the car is actually a life-like doll. (ABC News)

ABC parked a car in a busy suburban area and left a lifelike doll in the back seat with small speakers in the front seat of the car which played sounds of a crying newborn.  This made it all the more convincing.

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Is there a penalty for being a working mom?

The Today Show aired a segment on Aug 12 focusing on the motherhood penalty, you know, working moms.

Working mom from Chicago, Dena Lockwood, sued her company for firing her because she decided to take a day off from work to take care of her sick daughter instead of attending a meeting at work.  Dena stated that she was terminated without any cause and was discriminated for being a working mom.  The company released a statement explaining that she was fired for excessive absences and not for attending to her sick child.  The commission later ruled in her favor and awarded her more than $215,000. Yipee!

Organization and website like www.executivemoms.com is a great resource for all the “support needed to thrive in both roles”.  Marisa Thalberg, the founder and President of Executive Moms says that “cases like Dena’s are important because they raise awareness.”

So moms, if you are looking to venture back into the workplace or currently working full or part-time do some background checking in your companies equal opportunity program, they may have a flex time program or a way for you to work from home a couple of days a week.  Don’t feel gulity moms…we are here to conquer the world!

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