A child’s backpack is an amazing amalgam of fashion and function. As our children get solidly into elementary school and beyond, the look of the bag becomes as important as what is inside – and perhaps even more so. They must have some sort of magical power because they can hold a seemingly endless array of stuff. Given how large these bags become when fully loaded, it’s not a surprise that few backpacks are actually carried on backs. You’ll see them everywhere else, however: slung over shoulders, pulled on wheels, sitting on the ground, and even airborne. If your children are in any of these categories, then a lifetime of back woes likely has already begun. Continue Reading

Have you seen the new Six Flags ad recently? Talk about a catchy way of getting us Metro-Westers out of our niche and heading west!

There is no doubt that amusement parks can be a great family outing and offer something for everyone – even non-ride people. At the same time, while it’s easy to assume that a clean-looking, well-run park is “safe”, statistics suggest otherwise. Safekids.org recently reported 6500 emergency room visits in 2001 for amusement park injuries in the United States – and the majority of those actually avoidable and due to families and attendants bending the posted rules. Equipment problems do occur but result in a small amount of injuries overall. Continue Reading