Childcare

Heading to the shore this summer? Whether you’re at the public pool or your own private island, brush up on water safety before hitting the waves. Some expert tips below:

Supervision: Even if lifeguards are present, do not permit children to enter the water without supervision. Parents with a child under age 8 should always be within arm’s reach. Water wings are no substitute for your watchful eyes and assistance. Any child wearing a flotation device in the water should be accompanied by an adult.

Rules: Have your kids follow them. For water park activities, be aware of special height and weight requirements, the depth of the water and your child’s swimming ability. Go down slides feet first, and know the water depth before diving.

Equipment: If you have a private pool, keep rescue gear and a phone nearby. Install a self-locking gate at the pool entrance to bar curious young explorers from gaining unsupervised access.

Safety Training: Learn CPR and first aid skills.

Beach Conditions: Allow swimming only when a lifeguard is on duty, and make sure kids swim in front of the lifeguard stand. Be aware of special conditions — rough water, high waves, an undertow — that can make frolicking in the surf more difficult. Teach kids that if they are caught in a rip current they should swim parallel to the shoreline until released and then head back to shore.

For more information, visit redcross.org.

As a new parent, do you laugh in the face of sleep? Don’t. Experts recommend 8 hours a night for adults (it’s good for you — really!), and of course more for growing babies and kids.

Make sure the whole family is catching their zzzzs. Below, Molly Morgan of Creative Nutrition Solutions offers some simple tips to better your bedtime:

Loud and clear: While fire engines and even a dripping faucet can keep you up at night, a lack of familiar sounds may make it hard to sleep. Try music, a fan or wind machine to help create a soothing environment.

Hot or not: Sleeping in a hot room can disrupt slumber. Use a fan or air conditioner to cool summer nights.

Fade to black: Dark environments help induce sleep. Go for room-darkening shades to help little ones nap during the day and keep out unwanted light at night.

Sleepy shades: Cool colors, like blue, green and violet help calm and relax the body. Use them in the nursery and in your boudoir as well.

To the mattresses: Invest in quality mattresses — your back, and your brain, will thank you.

There’s an “f” word that’s a lot longer than four letters but could just as easily sink a job interview if it comes out of your mouth too soon after meeting your perspective employer: “family-friendly,” as in family-friendly work environment.

Lori Long, Ph.D. and author of Family-Friendly Work: Finding the Balance Between Employment and Enjoyment offers some tips for subtly sussing out whether a company is mom-friendly and offers a flexible work schedule:

• Look for signs that people who work there have kids. Are there family photos, fingerpaintings or homemade mugs scattered throughout the cubicles?
• Ask to talk to your (possible) future colleagues. Inquire what it’s like to work there. If the company is serious about hiring you, they’ll try to accommodate such requests.
• Be on the lookout for a company that offers family-oriented benefits such as a lactation room or on-site childcare.
• A family-friendly company (or boss) typically has well-defined standards for measuring performance and/or productivity. If the powers that be don’t have a true way of assessing these, they may rely solely on how much face time you put in.
• Consider asking your current employer whether a more flexible schedule is possible, even if the company has never before made such accommodations. Never say never.

Now about that golden parachute…

As a devotee to Tim Gunn, Thom Felicia and the gang, you’ve already got gay men as your gurus.

Brett Berk put his experience in early childhood education (20+ years!) into his new book, The Gay Uncle’s Guide to Parenting. Using an outsider’s perspective, Berk’s no-nonsense approach helps moms and dads break the “parenting bubble” to recognize truths like:

Children are not little grown-ups.
Young kids see, understand and react to the world differently than adults.
Your children are not your equals, they are your dependents — meaning, they depend on you.

As GUG reminds, you are a parent and a person. Now, about that hair.

Visit askgayuncle.com.