Retro vs. Modern Parenting Tips

As an ambassador for the CHPA Educational Foundation’s KnowYourOTCs program, all opinions are my own. Thank you for Sponsoring CityGirlGoneMom!

On the sunkissed scale of pasty to pale (skin), I tend to land on the barely beige end of the spectrum. Long gone are the beach days of spring seasons’ past, back when my brood’s only commitment was fun in the sun. Nowadays, the kids own us, between school, dancing, Hollywood, lacrosse and tee ball we are in what seems like five places at once. But, you can be sure they are already counting down the days till summer.

It’s funny to look back and see how much has changed from my childhood to theirs, especially when it comes to summertime staples like sunscreen. When I was growing up (at maybe 11 or 12 years old), I can remember my mom mixing iodine with baby oil to achieve the perfect beach tan. Do you believe that?! I guess it went with the territory. We spent most of our summers going to the jersey shore, and you’d better believe Gym * Tan * Laundry was a thing way before MTV stopped playing music videos. These days at the Schaffer household, it’s more like Laundry Laundry Laundry.

As they say, ignorance is bliss, and in the eighties, many of our parents weren’t privy to the harm that would later result from not properly dosing children when it comes to over the counter drugs (OTCs), and that includes sunscreen. Today, it’s quite the opposite, and instead of information shortage, it’s more like information overload. Research studies, interviews and articles all tell us the facts, while fellow parents, aunts, uncles and friends seemingly have all the solutions (if you ask them)! I’ll leave them out of it for now, and simply sum up what NOT to do when it comes to safely dosing your children this spring.

Be sure to watch the video below for some retro vs modern parenting takeaways, of which you may or may not relate!

Here are my top three things to look out for when treating your kids with OTCs this spring:

Safe Medicine Dosing – Be precise with the right device when giving kids over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, and never ever use a kitchen spoon. Always use the measuring device that comes with the packaging. For more specifics on safe dosing, click here to visit the KnowYourOTCs.org website.

Sunscreen – Now that winter is behind us, and the temperatures are rising, it’s time to start thinking about staying safe from the sun. Visit the KnowYourOTCs.org website for all things sunscreen and safety this spring. And, don’t forget to reapply!

Sleep Routines – From newborn babies through the teen years, sleep schedules and sleep routines can be less than awesome at times. With four little ones – trust me – I totally get it. We all just want a nice, peaceful, uninterrupted night of sleep! Something we deserve beyond just Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, am I right?! Check out this article on the KnowYourOTCs.org site, which details advice for parents with kids of any age – on how to tackle sleep challenges – along with helpful reminders on how many hours of sleep kids need at different ages.

Being the subject of the ultimate parenting faux pas may have had its merits from a twelve-year-old’s perspective. Although sporting the most bronzed skin on the beach was pretty cool for a tween on the Jersey Shore, I can now attribute some of my skin damage to those glory days on the coast. We live and hopefully we learn, from our own mistakes and perhaps from the parenting misses of those who raised us, who, for better or for worse, didn’t have as hefty a manual we today call technology.

With the abundance of parenting information out there, I couldn’t be more proud to partner with KnowYourOTCs.org to be a voice for so many important topics regarding safety for our children! What’s your favorite parenting faux pas from yesteryear? Please share by commenting below!