BY MICHELLE S. RODGERS Extension Home Economist Traveling with Tiny Toddlers “You can control a modern automobile with your fingertips, but controlling the young passen gers inside it is a problem auto engineers haven’t solved,’’ quoted a wise mouicr. Little passengers in the bassinet stage will travel peaceably, as long as they are dry and fed. It is the children past that stage who can create a carload of noise and confusion. By the time you read this. I’ll have taken some of my own advice, packed our bags, my hus band and V/i year old and began a six-hour trek to ski country. While we have traveled distances before, Elise was then a docile bundle of joy. By this age, she more closely resembles a tornado in both speed and upheaval. So, while the destination sounds fabulous, the effort to get there was almost enough to keep me from going until I enlisted some references on how to survive the six hour drive with a new tod dler. What follows are some ideas that I’ve pulled together for that age that is in between infant and “reasonable” toddler. Whatever age and type of travel, keep in mind that safety must come first. Insist on your child using a seat belt or child Where Technology v * HOG NIPPLE St( Disi BACK HOME By Michelle S. Rodgers Berks Extension Home Economist restraint seat Remember to set a good example with your own behavior. Don’t expect youngsters to be thrilled by filings other than those very close a hand, such as radio knobs, or seat recliner buttons. The spectacular, such as large doses of scenery, is rarely interest ing to a child. On long trips, rest lessness can be minimized if you stop every two hours. Let the children out to stretch, though they will need close supervision at busy test stops. Some experts sug gest that child controllability is best if you stop traveling by 4:00 p.m. Another aid to child control lies in not crowding young passengers inside the car. Pack carefully, avoiding taking “everything” along. What you will want to include are the following items: • Healthy snacks that are neither messy nor perishable . . . pretzels, crackers, cookies, grapes, carrot sticks. • A litter bag, tissues and damp washcloth to wipe sticky hands and unexpected spills. • Small individualized juice cans come in handy, although water from home is hard to beat as a thirst quencher and is less likely to stain if spilled. • A child’s bed pillow or famil iar blanket will help to take a nap ■ 4 A. y jp Practical Solutions Meet Cj SOW NIPPLE s4^ EXPLODED VIEW OF PATENTED DESIGN i>'l -'x sV tI'MVITT CONFINEMENT SYSTEMS INC. 608 E. EVERGREEN RD. LEBANON, PA. 17042 PH. 717-274-3488 when they get drowsy. • For entertainment enroute, the two to seven set will enjoy cray ons, paper, and blunt scissors. Put a few small light toys inside the box with the snack. Small picture books, games, magnifying glas ses, magnets are good idesa. You might try one or two new play items for some excitement. You may want to try tape recorded stories as another option. Before you leave, tape some of your child’s favorite songs or sto ries or you can buy many of these already recorded. You may even find it fun to tape record your child and they play it back for some family fun. Remember, too, to put comfort able, familiar clothes on your kids. The layered book may help to adjust to temperature changes that will occur throughout your travels. And despite all of your efforts, if pandemonium does break loose inside your car, let it go until you can safely pull off of the highway. Only when you have safely come to a stop can you properly deal with the situation within the car. As for the success rate of these ideas ... I’ll let you know if I survive the drive! Happy travels. Tightening our homes through the use of window and door seal ers, wealherstripping, and other energy conserving measures will considerably reduce the amount of energy required for healing and cooling. Unfortunately, these practices also reduce natural vent ilation to the point that moisture generated by typical everyday activities such as cooking, bathing and even breathing presents a problem. Condensation on interior win dows, wood decay and growth of ’> * \ V PIGLET NIPPLE Cook’s Question Comer ANSWER Mary Schlaseman, Mt. Zion, requested a recipe for molasses coconut Easter eggs. Thanks Ruth Grube, Barnesville, for sharing yours. Molasses Coconut Eggs 3 /« cup light cream % cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar V* cup molasses 2 tablespoons baking molasses 2 tablespoons butter 3 cups flaked coconut Place cream, sugars, molasses and butter in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissol ved. Boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a soft ball forms when a small amount is dropped into cold water. Remove from heat. Add coconut, stir well. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Shape into eggs when cool enough to handle. Chill. Dip into melted chocolate made from: 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bits 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted Did You Know? mold and mildew on walls or ceil ings are sure signs of excessive moisture. Because excess mois ture can cause hidden problems as well, a clear understanding of why problems occur is an important first step towards a successful solution. To learn about causes and a range of possible techniques to eliminate home moisture prob lems, come to the "Moisture and Water Control in Residential Environments" seminar spon sored by the Penn State Coopera- (Continued from Page B 8) live Extension, Lancaster County. It will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and repeated from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 31, at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Phyllis Earner, Ph.D., Extension Housing and Home Environment Specialist, Penn State University, will teach the seminar. The seminar is free and open to the public. Please call Penn Slate Cooperative Extension at 394-6851 with your reservation. MONTEREY SHOP Rooldontial Wood Doors • OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORS Commorclsl Wood • DISTRIBUTOR A Rslssd Psnsl Stool INSTALLATION Commorclsl Stool (nsulotod A Non-lnoulatod 196 MONTEREY ROAD (717) 65M513 BIRD-IN-HAND, BETWEEN 6:30 to PA 17505 7:00 A.M. Ephraim Stoltzfus - Proprietor ipactty If you're spending too much time making feed, move up to the Model 500, designed for the producer with high volume feed requirements Big Capacity with a 150-bu mixing tank that helps you turn out quality feed fast BiggT W