Toddler Archives - Page 12 of 13

Your Toddler Drank Alcohol: What Now?

Whether just a beer, a glass of wine, or vodka-infused hot cocoa, like many adults, I enjoy a drink from time to time. I also have four kids—four kids who were once very curious, grabby toddlers with impressive ingenuity. Much like everything in our home they were not supposed to have, they insisted on attempting to pilfer alcoholic beverages. I am ashamed to admit at least one of them succeeded in stealing a sip, and that clever lad is far from the first child to do so.

If you type something along the lines of, “toddler drank alcohol” or some variation thereof into a search engine online, you’ll find I am far from the only parent that has found themselves with a booze-swiping toddler. Okay, we’ve established it happens. What do you do if it happens to you?

First consideration: what type of alcohol did your toddler drink, and how much?

As you likely know, all alcohol marketed for sale has an alcohol percentage printed on the packaging. Your average beer, for example, is somewhere around 4 to 6 percent, whereas your average vodka is more like 30 to 35 percent. Note that if there is no percentage on the packaging, the alcohol content is below 5 percent. If your toddler managed to get a small amount of any alcohol, while it’s not going to win you a parenting award, it’s harmless. Now, if the quantity was a little more than a sip, or it was something like Everclear with very high alcohol content, you could have a problem.

Watch for signs of intoxication or seek medical attention

In a small child, signs of intoxication will show fairly quickly. While my children have never managed to drink enough to get that far, signs would be similar to those seen in adults, things such as impaired balance, flushed appearance, and confusion. In the event symptoms are mild, offer plenty of water and food, and don’t let it happen again. You may call poison control at 1-800-222-1222 if in doubt.

If more serious signs of intoxication are present, which could indicate alcohol poisoning, seek medical attention immediately. These may include altered pulse or breathing, vomiting, a dramatic drop in body temperature, unconsciousness, unresponsiveness, or seizure.

What are the risks of alcohol exposure in toddlers?

While an it-happened-once or even twice slip-up isn’t likely to cause harm unless your child chugged a bottle, continued exposure to alcohol at a young age can have a long list of very nasty health effects. That may include, among other issues, reduced brain growth or damage leading to developmental delays and reduced intelligence, memory loss, liver and digestive tract damage, as well as damage to the lining of the stomach and vitamin or nutrient deficiencies, which may lead to other health issues and impaired growth.

How can you prevent your toddler from getting a hold of booze again?

When drinking, try to use containers that can be closed and are difficult for your toddler to open. Keep the mass of your alcohol up high and locked up — yes, this means you should get a glass rather than sipping from the bottle. Keep your capped-cup up high. For example, a high shelf is a better choice than a coffee table.

Never leave partially finished drinks lying about. As a rule, do a quick walk-through after a date night or adult gathering to check for abandoned drinks.

Teach your toddler that mommy/daddy drinks are dangerous—much like you would the stove being hot. Avoid trying to explain that alcohol is not for children. Instead, stick to the drinks simply being a dangerous no-no. Using the same container for all of your drinks can help in this department as you can teach your child *that* cup is a no-no. You can explain how alcohol is for adults and how to drink in a healthy way when your child is older. This information is wasted on and may confuse a toddler.

If you’ve just joined the ranks of parents who freaked out just a bit when they realized their child drank a bit of booze, understand that it does happen, it’s not the end of the world, and it doesn’t make you a bad parent—just try not to let it happen again.

Has your toddler ever stolen a sip of your alcoholic drink?

Caring for a Toddler with Mouth Sores: A List of Foods and More

Hand, foot and mouth disease was something I had never even heard of. When my toddler suddenly had small pimple-like sores on his butt, I assumed it was just some sort of yeast-based diaper rash or another bane of his eczema. Later, when he complained his tongue hurt, and I found a mouth sore, I assumed he had a canker sore. On both counts I was wrong. My toddler had hand, foot, and mouth disease. Despite being called a “disease,” hand, foot and mouth is actually just a common childhood virus.

While symptoms may vary, I learned when my second toddler began showing signs of this highly-contagious virus you’ll likely see red spots or fluid filled blisters on the hands, feet, and mouth — hence the name. A toddler with mouth sores from the virus will experience raw, painful marks much like canker sores.

Toddlers and infants also often get sores on their butts in the diaper region. Fever, irritability, loss of appetite, and fatigue are other common symptoms. Hand, foot and mouth is contagious only when sores are present and active, meaning they haven’t burst or begun to heal. Much like chicken pox, hand, foot, and mouth is generally a one-time type virus. As there are a few different strains, you can get it more than once, but never from the same strain.

Sadly, because hand, foot, and mouth is caused by a virus, it can’t be treated with medication directly. All you can do is treat the symptoms. The virus generally resolves itself in seven to ten days. However, even seven to ten days can be a long time with a whiny toddler with mouth sores who is in pain and may or may not be able to eat or drink comfortably. Fever and discomfort can benefit from a bit of Tylenol or ibuprofen, but the biggest issue I had was trying to find things my toddler could eat. This is what I learned…

Things to avoid for a toddler with mouth sores:

-Bottles: The sucking motion can be quite painful. On the upside, I used this opportunity to wean my toddler off the bottle at bedtime. Soft-nippled sippy cups seem to be OK.

-Spicy or acidic foods: If you’ve ever had a canker sore you can relate; acidic food in particular, such as citrus, is not recommended.

-Chewy or crunchy foods: Chewy foods tend to stick to the teeth, mingle with saliva and aggravate every sore in your toddler’s mouth. My toddler was particularly annoyed that eating candy hurt. Crunchy foods can scrape against sores causing bleeding or at the least, more pain.

Foods that are good for a toddler with mouth sores:

You want to aim for soft, easy-to-swallow foods that are neutral or base in nature. Dairy-based foods, for instance, are almost always neutral or base. Cold foods can also be very soothing. Here are some ideas to give you an idea of what works:

-Ice cream or Popsicles
-Yogurt or cottage cheese
-Jello or pudding
-Apple sauce
-Mashed potatoes
-Oatmeal
-Clam chowder
-Chicken or beef vegetable soup (do not use a tomato base)
-Seafood or chicken Alfredo, or any white-sauced pasta for that matter
-Macaroni and cheese

In the event your child’s mouth hurts so badly they simply won’t eat, push water. Dehydration is one of the biggest risks of hand, foot, and mouth and other conditions that cause mouth sores. I found my toddler handled milk well during the short period he wouldn’t eat. You can opt for Pediasure dietary supplements if your child will drink milk. They have a touch more sugar, so you may have to dilute them with regular milk, but they can help fill dietary holes from not being able to eat. Ovaltine or other milk-mix-ins may be another option to add some calories. Rest assured that your child won’t die or become skin and bones from a dramatically decreased diet a few days. As long as he or she is getting liquids and peeing regularly, everything should be fine.

Feel free to add your suggestions for a toddler with mouth sores in comment.

You also might want to give this little known complication of hand, foot, and mouth a read, I was pretty freaked out when my kid’s finger and toenails started falling off.

Toddler Playing with Poop? Stop Poop Painting, Smearing and Other Fecal Fun

“How did he get the brown finger paint out of the tub?” I thought before approaching closer and realizing that my toddler was not finger painting with paint– it was poop. He was playing with poop. This wasn’t first and has yet to be the last time one of my toddlers has removed or simply reached into their diaper to smear, paint, and plain out play with their poop. Poop smearing certainly isn’t the most common toddler behavior in the book, but it’s not exactly uncommon either.

Why in Clorox’s name would my toddler be playing with poop?

It’s kind of a could be one, the other, or both explanation here. Many toddlers start having fecal matter fun when they begin potty training. Your toddler has a great deal of focus placed on his or her butt and what comes out of it at this stage in life. As a result, something your toddler likely never really paid much attention to is suddenly a highlight of their day. Curious about the brown excrement, many toddlers poke a finger in and find it sticks and then can be smeared and wiped all over the place. This leads to the second possible cause.

Some toddlers also discover playing with poop before potty training simply from putting their hands in their diaper or mastering the diaper removal art. Curiosity brings them to wipe and smear, and toddler appreciation for messes and “art” prompt them to continue. You could see how both could factor into the “why?” answer most parents search for upon finding a poop masterpiece fresh completed, but this still does little for the “why me?” sadly. Pain in the butt aside, this is a normal albeit disgusting toddler behavior and is almost always short lived. Thank the horrible smell for that one.

Is playing with poop dangerous to my toddler’s health?

It could be. Urine is a sterile substance, but fecal matter is far from sterile. The average poop diaper is about ¾ water, 1/3 decomposing dead bacteria, indigestible substances (like corn skin), live bacteria, fats, dead cells, intestinal mucous, and other bi-products of the digestive tract. It’s the 1/3 that presents the danger of bacterial infection if your toddler gets it in their mouth. Many forms of food poisoning, for example, are a result of improper hand washing after bathroom breaks. In most cases, the worst you could be facing if your child places poop-covered fingers in their mouth, besides a severe desire to puke yourself, is food poisoning like symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea 12 to 48 hours after).

What can you do to stop poop smearing, painting, and other diaper content misuses?

What not to do:

I was pretty shocked to find how many parents resort to the cold-shower method with poop smearing toddlers. This would entail rinsing the poop off your toddler in a cold shower. This falls majorly under the do-not-do category. First off, a mom who recently made the mistake of making her use of cold shower discipline public was charged with child abuse. Second, cold showers can have negative psychological effects on the child, especially at the toddler age. On top of the fact this method only teaches the child poop painting comes with punishment, not why their behavior is unacceptable or what they should do instead.
This is also another situation where as hard as it is, you have to save your OMG-seriously?!?-That’s-disgusting reaction for when your toddler isn’t around. Shock value goes a very long way with many kid’s this age, and they will do it again just to see your reaction if it amuses them.

What to do:

When playing with poop happens:

When you catch your toddler mid-smear or admiring his/her work simply calmly pick them up and carry them to the tub. Explain that this is a no-no, because poop is icky and goes in the potty or our diaper and rinse them clean with WARM water. You don’t have to give a warm, comfy, or fun, rewarding bubble bath, just a suds up-rinse off clean. Then a short time out often helps so you can clean up the mess, and they can think about the mess.

To avoid future fecal fun:

Prevention is the most useful tool in a poop-painter’s parent’s world. You can start by eliminating the ability to remove diapers if your child is not potty training. A single piece of packing tape does the trick. However, many kids will still stick hands into their diapers even if they can’t fully remove it. This does limit poop level access but doesn’t eliminate it. One piece clothing such as jumpers, overalls, or jammies work the best to cut off access to the diaper entirely. You can also use toddler sized onesies (shirts that snap at the crotch) with pants; this will make it obvious when your toddler is trying to get a finger in there. If you aren’t potty training, now may also be a time to start as you can praise pooping in the toilet, giving your child a more rewarding alternative to poop smearing.

Finally, finger paint, the real stuff, by allowing your toddler to make actual messes that aren’t of the stinky variety and don’t come with a time-out, you give them another acceptable outlet for their desire to make messes and art.