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Houston mother says a fidget spinner almost killed her daughter
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"Kids of all ages may be getting them, but not all spinners come with age-appropriate warnings." - photo by Herb Scribner
A Houston mother said this week that a fidget spinner almost killed her child.

Kelly Rose Joniec said in a Facebook post that her 10-year-old daughter swallowed a piece of a fidget spinner and almost choked to death while they were driving home from a swim meet. Her daughter, Britton, went into emergency surgery on Monday afternoon to remove the piece lodged in her throat.

Looking back in the mirror, I saw her face turning red and drool pouring from her mouth she could utter noises but looked panicked so I immediately pulled over, she wrote in a Facebook post. She pointed to her throat saying shed swallowed something, so I attempted Heimlich but there was no resistance.

Joniec said her daughter put three pieces of the device in her mouth so she could clean it, and accidentally swallowed the metal piece, the New York Post reported.

Joniec said the doctor couldnt believe what he saw once they conducted X-rays on her daughter.

The GI doctor was fascinated hed only just learned of fidget spinners that morning when he was at the mall with his son, so it was a surprise to be faced with one in a case a few hours later, Joniec wrote.

The doctor used an endoscope to remove the object, according to the New York Post.

Joniec said she advises caution to parents whose children want the hit new toy.

Fidget spinners are the current craze so they are widely distributed. Kids of all ages may be getting them, but not all spinners come with age-appropriate warnings, she said.

Fidget spinners have received both praise and criticism since their rise in popularity. Teachers nationwide have shared their grievances with the device, saying its a distraction for children who bring them into class, according to the Deseret News.

There's also a perception that the device helps children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety focus. But, according to Time magazine, thats not exactly the case.

Mental illness is difficult to treat, and its not something for which there are simple solutions, Dr. David Anderson, a clinical psychologist and senior director of the ADHD and Behavioral Disorders Center at the nonprofit Child Mind Institute, told Time magazine. The most frequent thing we say to parents with an unfortunately disheartened tone is that if something appears like its an easy fix for mental health difficulties, its probably too good to be true.

Meanwhile, blogger Erin Stewart said she doesnt want her children to use the devices because theyre another external distraction from daily life.

The last thing they need is one more item in their repertoire of stimulation devices, she wrote.
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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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