Canada Limiting Phthalates ~ Making Kids' Items Safer

January 18th, 20 

Kid Companions Chewelry
phthalates  free

11, Leona Aglukkaq, Canadian Minister of Health, announced new regulations that will restrict the use of six phthalates in toys and child care articles in order to limit exposure to children and infants. "When the Consumer Product Safety Act comes into force in June, the Government will begin a new era of consumer product safety for Canadians," said Minister Aglukkaq.

 "Canada's Phthalates Regulations are now aligned with measures taken in the United States and the European Union and will ensure our children receive the same high level of protection." said Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada. 

Phthalates are chemicals that may hurt reproduction and fertility in children. Phthalates increase flexibility in plastic products, allowing them to bend without breaking, but they've been linked to genital and urinary malformations in boys, as well as prostate cancer. Phthalates limits will be placed in products that kids under four are expected to put in their mouths. The rules will also restrict the sale, importation and advertising of products over those limits.

Rick Smith, head of Environmental Defense, says if Canada lags behind, exporters will try to sell us “crappy poisonous stuff the rest of the world doesn't want anymore. Canada over the last few years has really put the pedal to the metal in terms of getting toxic chemicals out of consumer products, and this is just the latest in many announcements that are protecting consumers.”

Is Kid Companions Chewelry Safe?

Yes! Kid Companions Chewelry is a Food and Drug Administration, FDA approved product to be chewed and bitten by kids. With a lot of research we have made a durable, colorful and safe chewable pendant. Kid Companions are SAFE, bpa, phthalate, pvc, lead and latex free accessories made for children, tweens and teens. http://www.chewelry.ca/ 

Food and Drug Administration, FDA a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

The breakaway is small and lays flat. It was designed specifically for children and conforms to ASTM toy safety standard! Though not meant to be chewed, it is also BPA, lead and phthalate free.

ASTM, the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a group of voluntary members that tests and specifies standards of materials and procedures. It is currently known as ASTM International and is now international in range.

Pierrette and Lorna's goal is to help special kids be themselves and thrive.

Our Kid Companions Chewelry gives parents peace of mind and support their special children. Mother and grand-mother of special needs children, we have dedicated many hours to assure our chewy fidgets are safe and non-toxic. We pride ourselves on our made-in-Canada, sourced in North America commitment and our social and environmental responsibility.

Words of Advice to Parents

Many children with sensory issues like to put things in their mouth. To keep them safe:

• Check if the product complies with safety regulations for child care articles!

• Avoid PVC and plastic items with enamel or paint. Especially those at economy stores.

• Do not rely on retailers or manufacturers to meet voluntary standards, or even to comply with mandatory standards. Request

 Proof. Get informed. Supply chains notoriously have holes

• As with the Kid’s Companion, make sure the items are too large to be swallowed and can easily be sanitized (i.e. dishwasher safe or machine-washable)

• Replace any damaged products before they break, tear or can become small parts.

As always, if you’re introducing something new to your child’s routine, check with your child’s pediatrician, therapist or teacher first.

More words of advice for our readers?

Related Posts:

Kid Companions Chewelry ~ An Attempt At Restoring Sanity by Ali Foley Shenk

Passed Toddlerhood and Still Mouthing ~ Guest Post ~ by Emma Apple

There is a New Kid Companion on Our Block

Product Innovators Launch Unique Sensory Tool for Special Needs Youth

Tactics Tackling Homework With Your ADHD Child

By referring to the characteristics of a child with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, you should be able to furnish an efficient, study nook for your child and establish a set of guidelines to make everyone happier about the thorny issue of homework.

These are the main characteristics of a child with ADHD: impulsive behavior, inattention, hyperactivity, disorganization, hyper-focus, or forgetfulness. This is what you and your child are working against so counterattack each tendency.

Why Have a Regular Routine

Have a regular routine for doing homework so that there are no arguments every day. Your child knows when it is time to do his homework and he knows where he does it. Allow for movement breaks and be nearby so you can quickly explain a detail misunderstood so he can move ahead. You surely want your child to have a positive attitude about accomplishing his assignments.

What Features Should the Study Nook Have

The study nook should be quiet, away from family activities and be stripped of distracting objects. Depending on the type of work, your child can sit in a chair, sit on the floor, lie on the floor or stand. If you have space, you could have more than one type of chair or stool and more than one height of working surfaces. Be sure that your lighting is just right and the lights do not hum or flicker in intensity. Provide fidgets, like Kid Companions, worry stones, silly putty or glued Velcro strips on or underneath the table to busy the hands to allow the brain to focus on the main task

.

What Homework Tools Work Best
The tools of the trade---simplest is best! Have sharpened, ordinary pencils ready. Do not have any colorful, mechanical pencils to take away his focus. The same applies to his other ‘tools’ for homework. Make sure all he needs is right in his nook because you want his study session to be productive and as short as possible.

How to Know About the Assignments
All this physical readiness is useless it your child does not have an organized manner of knowing what his homework is each evening. Moreover, the necessary text books have to be brought home or make an arrangement with the school to have extra texts at home. Be sure that the child, the teacher and you, the parents, have a plan so you are all on the same page. Some schools have a weekly list of work to be done at home. Others have students write their assignments is a plan book that ‘lives’ in the book bag so it is at home each evening. In this day and age, some schools have web sites with all communications with parents done electronically.

How to Organize the Work for Different Subjects
With your child and teacher, decide how the use of colored folders or thicker binders can make it easier for your child to sort, store and find what he needs. Label everything with the same color system and easy read print so book, scribbler, or notes are where they should be when he needs them.

What to Do When the Homework Takes Too Long

All this preparation is to make sure the homework sessions do not turn into a nightmare. If the required work is absolutely too much for your child, meet with the teachers and have a study contract drawn up so less is done but the requirements are still met. Another accommodation could be a longer due date. However, do not put your child in the position that his classmates see he is treated differently.

It is of upmost importance that your child continues to blend in with his peers. All strategies implemented to assist your child with his homework have to go unnoticed by his classmates.

By striving for homework quality instead of quantity your child will feel better about himself, about school and especially about homework.

What approach works best in your home to get homework done?

There is a New Kid Companion on Our Block

“Mothers know best” when it comes to their Special Needs children." This mantra has guided many decisions in families and hopefully in our school system. So naturally Pierrette d’Entremont, designer of Kid Companions, took seriously the pleas of distraught moms who told her no cool, sensory chewable fidgets were available for their older children, especially for boys. Kid Companions went to work and may we introduce you to “A new Kid on our Block"

Our new, Blue, fidget chewy, adds another choice to our circled, sensory oral-motor tool Kid Companions line. You now have three attractive color choices: black, white and our new,

Kid in Blue. The circled shaped rubbery, chewable fidgets are smooth and pleasing with a hard embossed “dot”.
Tweens, Teens and Cool little boys seem to favor our circle shapes. Stylish and very discreet, these circle shapes can blend in but be easily accessible as a chewing or fidgeting tool when you need it.

Still want to wear it like a fashionable necklace?

Our 18’’ or 20’’colorful lanyards are now 100% organic cotton! They are colorfast and pre-washed with plant-based ingredients. MUCH more durable than our original rayon/cotton ones and still washable!  

Our lanyards can be personalize with style, color and contact information. We can heat press name and information in three choices of fonts: print, typed or swishy. Example-John Smith 514- 2005 Autism. Moreover, the lanyards can be sold separately, can be used for any pendant or ID badge and can also be personalized. More about lanyards here

Do you have a lanyard chewer?

Our new undyed cotton is a good choice. These undyed lanyards 100% cotton and non-allergenic. Personalized printing looks GREAT on them too!

The comfortable lanyards have a custom breakaway clasp that will release and can be re-attached with ease. This means no more lost, dropped or thrown mouthing and fidgeting aids. The breakaway is small and lays flat. It was designed specifically for children and conforms to ASTM toy safety standard! It is also BPA, lead and phthalate free.

Another unique feature that renders Kid Companions attractive to tween and teens are the new clips. Clipping the fidget anywhere you want it to be…clothing, pocket, belt, school bag. Discreetly accessible at all times.

If circles are not your thing, you can always opt for our heart shaped pendants with an added oval dip similar in shape and function as a worry stone. We now have a NEW  black heart for TWEEN and TEEN girls to blend in!

All Kid Companions are safe, bpa, phthalate, pvc, lead and latex free. Our materials are economical as possible without compromising safety or social  responsibility.

All our products are durable, washable, and fashionable. Furthermore, we already have a CPSIA compliance certificate that covers our complete line.

Made in Canada, sourced in USA or Canada, Kid Companions allow special children to relax, to focus and to learn. Tweens, teens, their parents and their teachers will surely welcome the new Kid and all our Kid Companions, chewelry.

Tell us about your experience with chewies or fidgets as a tool for your Special Needs child.

Chewelry- A Must Have~Interview With Bumples Family First

Today I am giving you the link to connect to Bumples Family First, a cross-promotional Blog for Bumples Interactive Magazine. It is about their interview with 35 year old mother of three and principal owner of Kid Companions, Pierrette d'Entremont. This kid-friendly "Chewelry" has an unique use. Read more...The interview covers the following aspects, but in a lot more detail,  of  the long, four year journey:

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I attended The University of Ottawa in the Health Sciences, Human Kinetics program. Also I am a jewellery designer and Accredited Jewelry Professional.

How did you come up with the “chewelry” idea?

... struck me that my 3 year old could chew and fidget discreetly while my nursing infant could tug and teeth to her hearts’ content...

Explain the Chewelry and the benefits of it and why Autistic children need it.

...Finally, we had a solution….a durable, colorful, non-toxic chewy pendant that was safe …something that could help any child be him/herself, anytime, anywhere. We called it the HeartString Kid Companion...

...Special Need children, often those with ASD,  use Kid Companions as an oral- motor tool... As a chewable accessory, the tool addresses the issues of inappropiate biting and chewing and helps those with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Children with ADHD are unable to inhibit the impulse to move around...and Kid Companions with its textures and the worry stone dip in the heart shape are great fidgets...

Are Kid Companions fashionable?

...chewable and tuggable while still being “cool” enough to blend in. The heart and circle shapes and lanyards in their choices of colors worn as a necklace or clipped to clothing are discreet but yet fashionable...

For what ages do you make Kid Companions Chewelry?

...appropriate for all ages 3 years and up.

How can parents be sure they are safe?

...give parents peace of mind. Since our products are developed for infant use, we wanted FDA approved, North American sourced/made and socially responsible materials. THAT was a tall order, but we did it! We have followed ASTM standards...

Anything else you would like to add?

Let’s chew and fidget safely and fashionably!

What has been your experience with such Special Needs tools as chewies, fidgets...?

 

 

Mar 22 Fidgeting Tip - Fidgeting Movements Help Kids With ADHD

Why does fidgeting and other body movements help children with ADHD?

Research has shown that movement (physical activity) affects the same area of the brain that ADHD medications do. Both movement and medications raise the levels of neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals in the brain help us to focus and pay attention.

Therefore encouraging these children to respectfully move in class is a good thing. They must be given the opportunity to move at will, all the time not disrupting their peers. Allow silent, unobtrusive fidgets, like Kid Companions, and arrange movement breaks throughout the day.

The regular classroom Teachers or Special Education Teachers must tactfully explain to the class the accommodations planned for their classmate. The Special Needs child must be helped to blend in. Lastly, every member of the class must know that no unacceptable comments will be tolerated.

Has your school made accomodations for your child with ADHD?

Mar 19 Biting and Chewing Tip- Oral-motor Tools Must Allow SN Kids To Blend In

Chewies and Fidgets Must Be DISCREET

Happy, Special Needs youth, to function well at school, at play and especially with their peers, must use respectful fidget chewies

Some traditional fidgets and chewies can be a source of stress on special needs individuals that require them because they are actually an embarrassment. One Occupational Therapist said she felt bad for some Special Needs students she met at school when she saw the awkward mouthing aids.

Kid Companions Fidget Chewies
 Discreet, Personalized, Durable, Safe 

What is the most important quality you look for in a fidget or chewy?

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Mar 18 Fidgeting Tip- The Signs Of ADHD

 Know the Signs of ADHD

If your child consistently exhibits these signs, have a professional evaluation done so immediate support can be given.

• *Has problems with paying attention.
• *Has difficulty following instructions.
• *Is very active (hyperactivity). 
• *Talks a lot, has difficulty playing quietly.
• *Acts before thinking (impulsive).
• *Loses or misplaces homework, books, toys and other items.

As many as 5 out of every 100 children in school may have ADHD. Boys are three times more likely than girls to have ADHD.

Your child may be inattentive, impulsive, and too active but underneath all this, there is a child that is capable of learning and dearly wants to learn.

Most students with ADHD can be helped by professionals or changes in their environments/home/classrooms. A simple first aid action by parents is providing fidgets to use up that pent-up energy and to soothe this hyperactive brain.