If you have young children, you need these electrical outlet safety caps.  If you care about children, you need to get these into the hands of everyone who does have small kids. Go to Safety Caps and check it out.

There! 

This is the first time I have ever made a blanket product recommendation so boldly. Yes, I did look and test out the samples. They are terrific. These caps are too large for children - adults for that matter -could swallow . . . and choke on.

Its that simple. Everyone can easily protect all children both from electrical outlet dangers and choking hazards with these simple, easy-to-use phenominal caps.

You can help too, spread the word along with myself and others.

Tell Oprah and Ellen, too! Use these links for quick notes:
Email Ellen Here
Email Oprah Here

Scams? With missing children?

You Bet! Its unfortunate but true. There are some scurrilous individuals around that play the “missing child” alert to scrape and steal email addresses for their spamming purposes.

Even child safety experts get side tracked by this.

The alert came via a business contact who emailed an Amber Alert to us. The alert mentioned a 13 year old girl missing in Ohio. It was sent via an email chain with innumerable addresses on it.

One of the respondents, a journalist colleague, shot back an email immediately saying it was a scam and how it works and why it is potentially being sent around.

How did he know? How can you understand what is a phishing scam and what is not? Here’s what he knew and how you can start to pick out the scams, too, and protect yourself.

First, stay calm. “Oh No! Another Child Missing! Let’s help!” is a natural reaction. That is my point, it’s a reaction. Take time to read further.

Two, true and valid Amber Alerts do not come as singular emails forwarded on from individual to individual.

Third, check to see if the email address is valid or a dead link.

As a rule, whenever you get questionable stuff like this type of email, go to Google. Simply enter it in the Google search box and add the word urbanlegend. Or, you can go to www.snopes.com.

With these two tools you can find out very quickly whether it is real or not. The second thing that people are not aware of is that often these emails are used to gather email addresses for email spamming. If you scroll down you can see everyone who every got this line… when you get those ads for breast enlargement etc, you know where it came from!

Health care professionals are trained in the warning signs of child abuse. For most of us, we have no idea what these signs are. If a child is not around professionals or at school it is up to us to help them if they are in need. A basic knowledge of the warning signs that a child is being abused may actually help save the child.

While it is a very hard subject to address for most of us, our fears and repulsion get the better of us, we can collectively stop child abuse by recognizing the warning signs and bringing them to the attention of those very professionals that can help.

The behavioral signs of child abuse can also show up and be present at other stressful times in a child’s life. Parent’s divorce, death of a family member, friend or pet, or even bully problems in school, indicate the same symptoms. However, regardless of the cause, it is important to get the child help.

Many signs may be present and not just any one of them. Any one sign doesn’t mean the child was abused, either. What you need to know is that if several of them are present in any child you know, it’s a good time to begin asking questions.

1. Fear of certain people.

2. fear of certain places.

A child may not want to be left alone with a baby-sitter, a certain friend or relative, other child or adult. If your child child who is usually talkative and cheery may become quiet and distant when around a certain person).

3. Nightmares, trouble sleeping, or other extreme fears without an obvious explanation.

4. Play, writing, drawings or dreams may include sexual or frightening images.

5. Seems distracted or distant, spaced out at odd times.

6. Loss of appetite, or trouble eating or swallowing or sudden changes in eating habits.

7. Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, anger, insecurity or withdrawal.

8. Leaves “clues” that seem likely to provoke a discussion about sexual issues.

9. Stomach illness all of the time with no identifiable reason.

10. An older child behaving like a younger child, such as bed-wetting or thumb sucking.

Again it’s a series of signs that means you have to open discussions with the appropriate people involved and see if it is child abuse.