Decline of the school bus

For WP’s Department of Data, Andrew Van Dam notes the decline of the school bus and the rise of the private vehicle to bring kids to school. The estimates are based on responses to the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration.

I rode the bus when I was a kid, until I switched to riding my bicycle. I am now a parent who drives my kids to school. So this data strikes the a chord.

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More Dual Income, No Kids

People are waiting longer to have kids or not having kids at all, which leads to more dual income households with no kids.

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Oldest, Youngest, and Middle Children, in Differently Sized U.S. Households

When talking to someone new, the conversation often leads to your family when you were growing up. Do you have siblings? Older than you? Younger? I thought I’d try answering the questions for everyone in the United States. The chart below shows the distribution of kids younger than 18 by birth order and number of kids in the household.

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Data visualization activities for kids

Nightingale has a kid’s section with printable visualization activities. Get the kids started early while they absorb information like a sponge.

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Wanna know somefing?

From Reddit user wequiock_falls, “What I’m about to learn about after my kid says, ‘Wanna know somefing?’ Data collected over the course of 7 days.”

Sounds about right.

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Teaching kids data visualization

Jonathan Schwabish gave his fourth-grade son’s class a lesson on data visualization. He wrote about his experience:

I’d love to see a way to make data visualization education a broader part of the curriculum, both on its own and linked with their math and other classes. Imagine adding different shapes to maps in their Social Studies classes to encode data or using waterfall charts in their math classes to visually demonstrate a simple mathematical equation or developing simple network diagrams in science class. The combination of the scientific approach to data visualization and the creativity it sparks could serve as a great way to help students learn.

Maybe I should introduce Schwabish’s Match It Game to the Yau household. My five-year-old has been asking why I keep “doing data.”

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Pediatrics and Public Health: Working Together to Prepare for Emergencies

Girl in bed cuddling a teddy with bandage

Did you know that one in four people in the United States are children? Children represent a considerable portion of our population and they are among our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. When a public health emergency or disaster strikes, children are often the most severely affected.

Think back on recent public health emergencies, like the 2009 Swine flu (H1N1 influenza) pandemic, the Ebola outbreak in 2014, the presence of lead in drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and the emergence of the Zika virus in 2016. All of these emergencies had an effect on the health and well-being of children, and they highlight the unique physical, emotional and social needs of children that require special consideration when preparing for an emergency.Easy As ABC

What Can You Do to Keep Your Kids Safe in an Emergency?

There are many ways you can practice keeping your children safe during an emergency. Check out some of the resources below for ideas on how you can keep your family prepared:

  1. Make creating your emergency kit fun. Let your kids pick out some snacks and games and be sure to have a kit at home and in the car!
  2. Get your kids involved with emergency preparedness with Ready Wrigley games, coloring pages, and checklists.
  3. Make and practice plans for where to go and how to communicate in case of an emergency.

What is CDC Doing to Protect Kids in an Emergency?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes the needs of children a priority at every level of planning for an emergency. One critical way to achieve this is to have pediatricians and local and state public health professionals collaborate on planning for an emergency so as to ensure that children’s needs are met.

DHDD’s Division Director, Dr. Georgina Peacock, gives the welcome and opening remarks for the exercise
DHDD’s Division Director, Dr. Georgina Peacock, gives the welcome and opening remarks for the exercise

CDC’s Children’s Preparedness Unit (CPU) and Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), recently held CDC’s first ever public health and pediatric virtual tabletop exercise. A tabletop exercise uses a made-up public health emergency scenario that helps professionals gain experience by “role playing” through an emergency response. In the case of this pediatric tabletop exercise, public health officials and pediatricians from AAP chapters in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska worked through a smallpox outbreak scenario affecting children. Using web-based technology to connect participants, the exercise was facilitated from CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and teams from each state participated remotely. Throughout the exercise, the teams evaluated how their state’s emergency plans and procedures worked during the scenario, how the teams responded, and what changes were needed to ensure the safety and health of children.

“This exercise represented an important opportunity for the public health and pediatric communities to share their unique perspectives and experiences,” says Dr. Georgina Peacock, CPU’s founder and the Director of the Division of Human Development and Disability at CDC. “By working together to respond to a simulated but realistic emergency, participants were able to see firsthand how working together across diverse areas of expertise can save children’s lives.”

CDC hopes to help more states carry out similar virtual preparedness exercises so they can better protect children during emergencies. In addition, CDC plans to develop a user-friendly exercise toolkit specifically for the needs of children. This toolkit will be available as a virtual package to rural communities and other jurisdictions to expand preparedness planning opportunities in these communities.

“Thank you Mom…for being so prepared!”

Little Girl with Purse

It’s Mother’s Day…which got me thinking about my mom. Growing up her purse was like a small version of Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. Everything was in there. If you fell, she had a first aid kit. If you had a stray thread that needed to be cut, she had scissors. All the answers to the small needs and everyday emergencies were tucked away in her purse. I loved this about my mom!

When I became a mom, I tried to do the same. I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but I have established a reputation among friends that I am most likely to have “it” in my purse. I consider this a compliment.

We can think of an emergency kit like a mom’s purse! Here are some basics to consider as you build your family emergency supplies kit. But you should also think about the special needs of your family, including the medical and dietary needs of small children, elderly parents, and pets.

  • Water – one gallon per person, per day.Little Girl with Purse
  • Nonperishable food – foods like energy bars are a good choice.
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio – and extra batteries
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Medications
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Important documents – like medical records; banking information; wills
  • Cell phone with chargers (or solar charger)
  • Family communication plan with emergency contact information
  • Extra cash
  • Emergency blanket
  • Maps of the area

So, that’s the BIG list. What if you need to leave quickly? Put together a go bag; it could take the form of an actual purse! It should be easy to carry and find. Include some of the items that are in your home kit, like batteries, radio, flashlight, blankets, emergency documents, personal hygiene items, a first aid kit, a change of clothing, nonperishable snacks, and some water. Mom would be proud!

I’ll always think of my mom when I’m working on my emergency supplies. Thanks Mom!

Autism and Preparedness

Father and Son

There is a new neighbor on Sesame Street. Her name is Julia and she’s helping dispel decades-old stereotypes about autism. Julia is a little girl with autism and her move to “where the air is sweet” coincided with April being Autism Awareness Month. Our new neighbor is helping us think about the challenges of parenting a child of autism. One of those challenges is preparing children with special needs for public health emergencies.

Children are affected by disasters differently than adults. Mental stress from a disaster can be harder on children because they may not understand what is going on around them and don’t have experience bouncing back from difficult situations. Having autism can further compound this stress for a child and their family.

Any parent of a child with special needs will tell you that it takes patience and perseverance to accomplish even everyday tasks. Preparing your child for something as potentially disruptive as a natural disaster might sound stressful or maybe even seem impossible depending on the exact needs of your child. Here are some tips we hope will help.

Small change…big problem

As you are well aware of, minor change of plans can cause big problems for children on the autism spectrum. While it might seem daunting to imagine how responding to an emergency such as a tornado warning might impact your son or daughter, thinking through all of the potential complications can help you prepare for your child’s specific needs.

Prepare for immediate needs long before disaster

Start by assembling the same tools and resources as you would for any child. That includes creating a basic emergency supplies kit and making a family emergency plan. Then add a few items specific for your child’s particular needs. You’ll want to include:

  • Medical ID for your child
  • At least a 3-day supply of all medicines
  • List of your child’s triggers and helps for behavior issues
  • Names and contact information for all doctors and therapists
  • Complete list of your child’s health records
  • Names and serial numbers for medical equipment

Don’t forget that it’s important to keep all your kits and supplies, including medical devices, in a handy location. Also, if your child with autism is able to communicate and to follow instructions, give them a developmentally-appropriate version of your family’s emergency plan.

Wear your inner strength on the outside

Your child with autism may be particularly in tune with the moods of the adults around them and may sense stress, anxiety, and frustration, and then mimic the mood or behavior. The best way to prepare for being able to express your inner strength is to regularly take care of yourself. Utilize respite care services and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Regularly reaching out to your network of friends, relatives, and/or co-workers for assistance will help you practice in case of an emergency situation.

All these things can help to give your special needs child a sense of security and safety, before, during, and after the disaster.

Resources

Thanks to all for "Suggestions for 11 year old daughter who wants to learn to code"



I am so thankful to the whole community out there who gave answers to my request for suggestions for my 11 year old daughter who wants to learn to code.



Today we were both home sick and when she said she was bored she then asked if we could try some of the examples people suggested.  And we ended up playing around with Python at Codeacademy and she spent hours on it.  So much fun. See below: