Summer is the time to worry about baby’s exposure to the sun, and some children are more at risk for skin cancer than others.  Parents magazine and the American Academy for Dermatology have published these risk factors for skin cancer.

If your child has one or more of these risk factors, there’s even more reason to take precautions against excessive sun.

Kids are getting into organized sports earlier these days, and it’s not unusual for them to start as young as age four. If your child is still an infant or toddler, it might seem like age four is a long way off. But as any experienced parent can tell you, it will be here before you know it.

When the day comes for you to sign your son or daughter up for a sport, you’ll need to remember that it’s up to you to be a role model for good sportsmanship for your child. Here are some tips about being a parent who’s a good sport.

Trying is more important than winning. If your child is trying hard, then it doesn’t matter if they win or lose. Encourage your child to strive to improve, but don’t put too much pressure on for the win.

Be a cheerleader for your child. Let your child know that you’re on their side and don’t criticize them after a sporting event. Leave the detailed critiques of their performance to the coach.

Don’t criticize other children. You really never know who’s sitting nearby when you criticize the performance of other children. Don’t let your child and others hear you putting down other kids.

Remember that organized sports for kids are about getting fit and having fun. Keep it light and let your child know you love them no matter what.

A backyard swimming pool is a great asset for a homeowner.  It can increase the value of a home and provide hours of fun and relaxation for the entire family.  Along with the benefits of pool ownership comes responsibility, since a pool can also be a hazard.  Here are some tips for backyard pool safety.

• Make sure everyone knows how to swim.  Adults and children alike should know the basics of swimming.

• Don’t leave children unattended.  Have an adult who isn’t swimming supervise children while they’re in the pool.  Children under the age of five should have an adult with them in the pool.

• Fence the pool.  A high fence which is separated from the house should be installed around a backyard swimming pool.  The fence should have a gate which closes and locks automatically.

• Keep pool area safe.  Keep flotation devices including a pole, rope and flotation devices near the pool and learn how to use them.  Keep the pool deck clear of toys when not in use.

By being aware of pool safety, you’ll avoid injury around the pool and keep all your family experiences around the pool enjoyable.

Family scrapbooking has been a very popular craft in recent years.  When you have a new baby you’re probably taking lots of photos, but finding the time to create a beautiful memory-filled baby scrapbook is another story.  Before you get discouraged and put aside the idea of creating a scrapbook with photos of your baby, look around for ideas to quickly create beautiful pages.  Here are some tips to get you started:

- Begin with a sheet of pastel colored card stock for your scrapbook page.  Find a few photos that go well together.

- For extra pop, cut frames or borders for the pictures in different colors.  Use an acid-free adhesive to attach the frames to the card stock page. 

- Use photo mount squares to attach the photos.  These squares will allow you to remove the photos in the future if you decide to do something else with them.

- Add hand-written captions for the photos.  There are lots of customized letters out there to apply to scrapbook pages, but nothing beats the personal touch of  your own hand writing.

- Decorate with stickers.  That’s one page done, and you’re ready for the next one!

A friend of mine (with 6 children) recently remarked that when her children were small, she found herself telling them to leave her alone so she could scrapbook.  She didn’t like how that felt, so she put aside the scrapbooks.  Now that her kids are in high school, she has a little more time and she’s gone back to scrapbooking.  It’s never too late!