August cover photo sends wrong message
I just received the August issue of ParentMap and felt the need to email. I am a huge fan of the magazine and think it is full of great information. However, I am concerned to see the front cover of the August issue with a baby sleeping on his stomach. As the executive director of the Northwest Infant Survival Alliance-SIDS Foundation of Washington [NISA-SIDS] and a proponent of safe sleep techniques for infants, I am sorry to see this picture (as cute as it may be) on the front of a magazine with the caption overhead reading “sleep.” Because many of your readers are new parents or parents with infants, I think the cover sends the wrong message (and a message that we have been working to change for the last 15 years with the [American Academy of Pediatrics’] support and recommendation.
The numbers of SIDS deaths in Washington state has increased from 42 deaths in 2005 to 72 SIDS deaths in 2008. Many of these infants weren’t found sleeping on their stomachs as in past years (before the “Back to Sleep” campaign), but were found bed-sharing. While NISA-SIDS is a supporter of room sharing and of breastfeeding, we still encourage parents to provide their baby with their own safe, unobstructed sleep environment.
—INGA PAIGE
Northwest Infant Survival Alliance
SIDS Foundation of Washington
Sitter service gives parents a break
I am writing in response to the recent article by Kathryn Russell Selk (“Finding Your First Babysitter,” July 2009). I am the mother of two young boys and understand how hard it is to find safe, reliable and flexible child care. I want your readers to know that there is an option besides sittercity.com and craigslist. Both of those are options, but much of the critically important work in choosing a baby-sitter (interviewing, background screening, scheduling, payment, inflexible or always-changing schedules, etc.) is still left undone. That is why I started a company called SeekingSitters here in Seattle.
Not only do all of our certified professional sitters go through several interviews with me, they must pass a rigorous background check done by licensed private investigators. Our members are able to view all sitter profiles and pictures online, read feedback from other families about the sitters, and all invoicing is done online for your records. There is no need to run to the cash machine. Members simply make a request online (they can be last-minute, short-term, full-time, etc.), and I match a certified sitter with each family.
As a parent, I can relate to how difficult and time consuming it can be to find a sitter with whom you are comfortable. I just want your readers to know that there is a great option for them and that it doesn’t need to be difficult finding that first sitter … or the 10th!
Owner, SeekingSitters