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3-year-old is 'nearly dismembered' after using this popular potty chair
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This is what you need to look out for when selecting a potty-training device. - photo by Melinda Fox
Parents are encouraged to teach their little boys how to use the bathroom by sitting first, before standing. For this reason, many parents choose to use a reduced toilet seat with a splash guard to teach their little guys how to go to the bathroom. However, there are certain safety precautions you need to be aware of when choosing a training seat specifically regarding which seat you choose.

In June, a little boy in Riverside, California got his genitals stuck in the splash guard of the WeePOD Basix Potty Ring causing severe cuts and nearly dismembering him. The boy had to be taken to the emergency room to be glued back together. The family, who chose to remain anonymous, is suing Target because the store claimed the product was safe even though they were aware of prior claims that this toilet seat, manufactured by Prince Lionheart, mutilated a child.

For example, in 2015, a parent in Virginia reported a similar incident with Prince Lionheart's product. Allegedly, the parent left a comment on Target's website about the incident. The comment, which has now is no longer available, due to "Target's malfeasance" read: "My 4-year-old son was going to the bathroom on his wee pod basix potty seat and when he stood up he started screaming. He had a nasty cut on the base of his penis and it was bleeding a lot. My husband and I cleaned him up and took him to the doctor.

"When we got home I examined the seat and the bottom edge is actually very sharp and just sliced open the very sensitives in in that area. This has been horribly traumatic for him and could have been so much worse."

Attorney John Kristensen, who is handling the case against Target and Prince Lionheart stated, Target and Prince Lionheart knew there were problems with this defective potty-training device, knew of prior complaints but refused to take the product off the shelf. They had a duty to warn customers about the dangers of their WeePOD product. Their failure to do so was reckless and led directly to the mutilation of my client.

The product is still available on Target's website and currently has almost a 4-star rating. Both Target and Prince Lionheart maintain that product safety is a priority to them. On Dec. 22, 2017, a representative of Prince Lionheart commented to Good Housekeeping, "We take the safety and comfort of the children and parents who use our products very seriously, and all of our products have been subjected to rigorous third party testing to ensure their safety when used in a manner consistent with our instructions and warnings. We're a family-owned and operated business and have been making products for babies and young children for over forty years. Our practice is to design safety, quality and performance into every one of our products."

For the time being, we recommend that you check any potty-training device before allowing your kid to use it. Feel around the whole surface for sharp edges that might hurt sensitive body parts.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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