Important
Dates
The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
heart day smiles
March 2
Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
March 7
Field Trip to see Madagascar”
at the Marriott Theatre
March 12
Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 14 & 15
Dress Up Pictures
March 17
Parent Breakfast
March 17
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!
Wear Green for our Party!!
March 20
First Day of Spring
March 21
Tornado Drill
March 28
Song Day
Summer is just around the
corner!! Don’t
forget to sign up for Good
Times Summer Day Camp!!
Lots of Poko Loko Love
Poko Press: The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
March 2017
Page 2
Poko Press: The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
March 2017
Page 3
Rule: Skip peanut butter
When Can You Relax on
Safety Rules?
By Michelle Crouch From:
You take every precaution with your baby or toddler -- but
eventually, you've gotta take a deep breath, ditch the rules,
and trust that your child will be just fine.
Baby & Toddler Rules
I have a friend who still cuts her son's grapes in half, even though
he's in kindergarten. Another supervises her daughter in the bath
even though the girl knows how to swim. And I'm already wondering when I can take the rails off my 3-year-old's bed. We all know
the rules for keeping our children safe. But when is it okay to finally give them a rest? In some cases, it depends on your child's
age, but often it hinges more on her individual development and
skills. Each kid is different, and what one child is doing at age 1,
another might not do until age 2. If you're not sure whether your
child is ready for something, don't rush it. There's no downside to
being supercautious.
Rule: Put your baby to sleep on her back
To help prevent SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
recommends putting your child to sleep on her back until she's a
year old. If your baby can flip over before that, you don't have to
go in her room to turn her onto her back. But you should still wait
a year before actually putting her down in her crib on her tummy.
Rule: Support your infant's head
Your baby should gain head control between 3 and 4 months.
"You can start taking your hand away once he begins lifting his
head when he's lying on his belly," says Parents advisor Ari
Brown, MD, author of Baby 411. At first, it's a good idea to "spot"
him by keeping your hand just an inch or two behind his head to
prevent injuries.
Rule: Avoid blankets and other bedding
You can use a receiving blanket to swaddle your baby right away.
But because of the risk of SIDS, you shouldn't use any soft objects or loose bedding while he's sleeping until he's at least a year
old. After that, pediatricians have different opinions. Some say you
can start using a blanket and a firm pillow. Others recommend
that you wait until your child is 2, just to be safe, and use pajamas
with feet or a sleep sack on cold nights in the meantime. You want
to make sure that your child is able to pull things off of himself if
he gets hot or tangled. If he can undress himself, that means he's
got this motor skill down. Since toddlers rarely stay under the covers anyway, it's often best to wait and introduce a blanket once
your child graduates to a big-kid bed.
Rule: Buy baby laundry detergent
Some children have sensitive skin and need special soaps and
detergents for several years, or even forever. But many do fine
with adult formulas right away and never need special brands.
Start by testing one piece of clothing to see if your baby's skin
reacts. However, pediatricians say that even babies with sensitive
skin don't necessarily need baby brands. Perfume- and dye-free
adult detergents work just as well and let you wash everyone's
clothes together.
If you have no family history of food allergies, some pediatricians
say you can let your child try peanut butter between 12 and 18
months. If your family has a history, the American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology recommends waiting until age 3.
"By age 3, the gut has completely formed, making it more difficult
for the allergen to be absorbed and trigger cells in the immune
system," says Christopher Randolph, MD, a pediatric allergist in
Waterbury, Connecticut. However, because kids usually don't
outgrow a peanut allergy -- and it can be life-threatening -- some
allergists and pediatricians recommend that all kids avoid PB&J
until age 3.
Rule: Serve whole milk
Once your child turns 2, its time to switch to skim or low-fat milk,
because he no longer needs that extra fat for brain development.
However, the AAP currently doesn't specify whether you should
move right to skim, or to 2 percent or 1 percent milk first. And doctors have different ideas about what's best. The most important
thing is to make sure your child drinks skim milk after age 5, says
Robert Baker, MD, a pediatrician in Buffalo, who's on one of the
AAP's nutrition committees.
Preschooler Rules
Rule: Cut grapes and hot dogs in half
Keep slicing these choking hazards until your child is 4, the AAP
recommends. That's the age when most kids can chew with a
"grinding motion" -- and also when their airways are large enough
to accommodate an accidentally swallowed grape, hot-dog chunk,
or piece of popcorn. "But if your older child doesn't chew well,
continue cutting!" says Dr. Brown.
Rule: Use bed rails
You can take them down when your child stays in one position for
most of the night -- usually around age 3 or 4. Place something
soft alongside the bed for the first few weeks. "Definitely take the
rails down if your child starts climbing over them, because he'll be
more likely to hurt himself that way than if he falls out of bed without the rails," says Karen DeBord, MD, associate professor of
child development at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh.
Rule: Use covers on all outlets
If your child can explain why poking something into an outlet could
hurt him, it's probably okay to remove the covers. But since they
aren't much of an inconvenience, there's no rush -- especially if he
loves to experiment. Even some 7-year-olds can't resist an open
outlet.
Rule: Don't let your child play with marbles,
coins, or other small objects
To be safe, pediatricians recommend, you should keep these
choking hazards out of reach until your child is 4 or 5, when his
windpipe is larger. If he is over 3 and no longer puts nonfood objects in his mouth, you can let him play with small toys before then
-- but you must supervise him carefully and store them where he
can't reach them, says Dr. Brown. Be sure to follow the age recommendations on toy packages.
Rule: Put gates at the top and bottom of stairs
There's no consensus about this. Some doctors say you can remove the gates once your child can go up and down stairs without
holding on, which usually happens at age 3 or 4. Others say it
doesn't hurt to keep gates up longer, particularly at night in case
your child sleepwalks -- as long he isn't trying to climb over them.
Continued on Page 5
Poko Press: The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
March 2017
Page 4
Continued from Page 4
Rule: Avoid the big swings at the
playground
Most doctors say it's best to let your child move from
bucket swings to the flat-seat types when she's 5 and
her feet are more likely to reach the ground. But she'll
probably beg to switch before then. Adult supervision
is key to avoiding falls: If you can trust her to hold on
tight, you can push her in a big swing when she's 3 or
4. Also make sure the swings are on a soft surface,
and that your child knows to wait until the swing has
come to a complete stop before getting off.
Outdoor Fun
Rule: Use fluoride-free toothpaste
Because ingesting too much fluoride can cause permanent white spots on your child's teeth called fluorosis, some doctors say it's safest not to use any regular
toothpaste until she can spit -- a skill typically mastered at age 3 or 4. But the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children use a
small amount of fluoride toothpaste (no more than the
size of a pea) starting at age 2 to prevent cavities -especially if your local tap water isn't fluoridated. Talk
to your dentist and doctor about what's best.
Rule: Supervise bath time
Never leave your child alone in the tub until he's 5,
and then only leave him briefly until he's at least 7.
Although drowning can happen at any age, most children who drown in tubs are under age 5, according to
the Consumer Products Safety Commission. If your
child has learned how to swim, you can feel more confident leaving him alone. Nevertheless, you should
never be far away. As your child gets older and wants
more privacy, insist that he keep the bathroom door
unlocked, says Dr. DeBord.
Poko Press: The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
March 2017
Page 5
Register now for GOOD TIMES 2017!!
Also, remember if you have a child at
camp and Poko Loko, you still get the
additional 10% family discount off
both children!!
June 12 to August 18





Swimming 3 Days a Week
Exciting Sports
Fantastic Field Trips
Special Events
Based Out of Libertyville
Sports Complex
A Sensational Summer
Experience Awaits...
This year will mark the thirteenth summer of Good Times Day Camp in Libertyville!
The schedule is packed with non stop fun and
excitement for kids ages 4 thru 12. Camp drop
off and pick up will be based out of the Libertyville Sports Complex across the street from
Poko Loko. Campers will have access to the
indoor basketball gym with equipment, soccer
fields, board games & more.
Campers will go swimming three days a
week at Wheeling Aquatic Center, Mundelein’s
Barefoot Bay, and the Vernon Hills Aquatic
Center. Every Monday the camp goes on a fun
half day field trip and on Wednesdays a full
day field trip. Some trips scheduled this summer include Lake County Fair, a Chicago White
Sox game, Brookfield Zoo, and everyone’s favorite Great America.
Every Tuesday and Thursday campers
will have fun during the special guests and
events time. This year the camp will enjoy cake
decorating, silly string wars, and kite flying.
Remember spots fill up fast. If you have
any questions please talk to Peggy, Matt,
Paulette, or Monika at the front desk.
Go online at www.goodtimesdaycamp.com to see the 2017 Calendar
Poko Press: The Official Poko Loko Newsletter
March 2017
Page 6