Home > The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect > Appendix D: Handouts for Parents > 'Healthy Dozen' List for Toddlers

The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect

Author(s):   Children's Bureau Karageorge, Kathy, Kendall, Rosemary

Year Published:  2008

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You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

Appendix D: Handouts for Parents
"Healthy Dozen" List for Toddlers^**

As part of "The Year of the Healthy Child," former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., outlined a dozen tips for parents to help keep toddlers safe and healthy. Excerpts are below. For the full text, go to www.surgeongeneral.gov/pressreleases/sg05192005.html.

1. Teach healthy eating. Provide three nutritious meals supplemented with two to three healthy snacks daily. Feed toddlers at the same time as other family members, and allow them to grow into feeding themselves. Offer children nutritious foods, and let them decide how much to eat. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar.



2. Begin a habit of good oral health. Brush your child's teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush. Begin brushing for your child when his or her teeth first appear, and continue until age 3 or 4 when you can start teaching your child how to brush.



3. Don't smoke. And don't allow anyone else to smoke around your child. Second-hand smoke can have a harmful effect on your child's breathing and can have long-term respiratory consequences like impaired lung growth, chronic coughing, and wheezing. Diseases of the respiratory system (aggravated by second-hand smoke) are the leading causes of child hospitalization and one of the leading causes of toddler doctor visits.



4. Give positive feedback. Praise good behavior and accomplishments. This begins to ensure a healthy bond between parent and child. Also, make sure that your child's caregiver agrees with your point of view.



5. Always use a car safety seat. Be sure your child rides in an age- and weight-appropriate child safety seat, correctly installed in the back seat, every time she is in the car.



6. Safety-proof your house. To prevent accidental poisoning, move all medications and cleaning products to high shelves. To prevent burns, set the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To prevent choking, be sure that any toys your child plays with do not have parts that are small enough to choke on. Do not give toddlers younger than age 2 foods that may cause choking, like hard candy, large pieces of raw vegetable or fruit, or tough meat. To prevent drowning, install a toilet lid lock on every toilet in the home.



7. Never leave your toddler unattended. As a child grows, so does his natural curiosity to explore. It takes only a few seconds for a toddler to get into a dangerous situation.



8. Make sure your child has a primary health care provider. Before your child has an illness, injury, or developmental delay that requires medical care, make sure that your child has a primary health care provider, such as a pediatrician or family practitioner, who knows your child.



9. Fully immunize your child. Make sure your child gets all immunizations on time.



10. Learn child first aid and CPR. Be prepared. Know how to call for help, including poison control. The national toll-free line for poison control is 1-800-222-1222.



11. Practice prevention and safety. Teach your child safety tips, including always swimming with a buddy and wearing a bicycle helmet. Be sure your older toddler knows his name, his parents' names, and his phone number. Get your child's fingerprints taken, and keep a recent photograph, updating it every few months.



12. Have fun. Hug, talk, read, explore, and play together. All parents sometimes feel overwhelmed as they tackle the challenges of parenting. If you feel so stressed that you feel unable to cope with the demands of parenting, get help.

For more information on "The Year of the Healthy Child" visit http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/healthychild/.

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^** U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF). (2006). Safe children and healthy families are a shared responsibility: 2006 community resource packet [On-line]. Available: http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/pdfs/prev_packet_2006_en.pdf. back

You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

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Updated on March 1, 2010