Today's Parent | Parenting Resources… Articles, Advice, Help & Tips

For parents with young children, it’s often hard to know when to start reading to your child, or teaching them colors and numbers. But the act of reading to even very young children can soothe them and lead them to love story time and enjoy reading for themselves as they grow.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), reading to children in the home sets kids up for success in school and in life. Providing a wide-range of reading materials they love, reading with your child and speaking with them about stories they’re enjoying all build excitement around reading.

Learning to love reading is so important to a child’s success in life that VTech, a leader in electronic learning products for kids, has joined with First Book, a global social enterprise that provides books to parents who can’t afford them, by donating more than 4,000 new books to Head Start programs across the country.

Kyle Zimmer, First Book’s founder and CEO, says reading at home makes a real difference, in a lot of ways. “It provides the bonding little ones will need to feel confident in school, as well as an affinity for reading on their own throughout their lives,” she says.

Meanwhile here are some ways to get your young child to love reading:

• Snuggle up. Kids love the attention and snuggle factor while reading a good book. The feeling of connection helps them calm down before nap or bedtime, and creates a sense of security that will help them build healthy relationships with others later in life.

• Choose wisely. Bright colors and big pictures can be alluring for toddlers and children beginning to comprehend letters and numbers, so look for books with plenty of illustrations or photos.

• Use voices. If you take on character voices while reading, you’re more likely to get a few giggles and further engage your child. Encourage them to repeat what you have said and participate in the story telling.

• Remember to play. For children who have an especially difficult time sitting still during reading time, begin to incorporate storylines into playtime. This will likely result in the child’s excitement to learn more of the plot during the next story time and will lead to a fondness for classic story characters.

• Get creative. You can also follow your child’s creative play and help them write their own stories, using your child as the protagonist. Turn everyday activities into adventures and incorporate friends and family into the plotline. Allow them to draw illustrations to include in the book.

• Engage your child. Go beyond just the copy on the page. Ask your child to find certain animals, plants, etc. Also ask them to identify colors, or to count the number of people on each page. Building these skills early will help your child think critically later.

• Embrace technology. Another way to engage your child during story time is to look to new tech-savvy reading trends. Electronic readers, such as the V.Reader by VTech, have interactive stories that help kids love learning to read. Color touch screens with animated stories and spelling games bring books to life and let kids engage with reading in a whole new way.

Books help children succeed in life – every child. So if you’d like to join in helping kids read through First Book, you can make a donation or get books for your reading program at www.firstbook.org. And to find out about the latest learning tools to help kids love learning to read visit www.vtechkids.com.

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. If you had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, you and your child from that pregnancy have a lifelong risk for developing diabetes, a serious disease that can lead to health problems such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease and amputations. The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent or delay diabetes and lower that risk for yourself and your child.

Women with a history of gestational diabetes can lower their chances for developing diabetes by taking steps to reach and maintain a healthy weight, making healthy food choices, and being active. Keeping a healthy lifestyle as a family is good for everyone.

Keep up healthy habits – even after the baby is born.

Many women who have gestational diabetes see a dietitian or a diabetes educator to guide them in developing healthy habits during pregnancy. But what many women don’t realize is that it’s just as important to keep up with those healthy habits even after the baby is born.

If you are a woman who had gestational diabetes, it is important to get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born, and at least every three years after that.

It is also important to reach and maintain a healthy weight by making healthy food choices, such as following an eating plan lower in fat and calories and high in fiber, and being active for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Even if women do not reach their “goal” weight, research shows that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce risk.

Busy? Build physical activity into your day one step at a time.

Physical activity is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and preventing type 2 diabetes. Set a goal to be active at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week. If you have not been active, start slowly, building up to your goal. Take small steps to include physical activity in your day-to-day routine.

Busy moms can use these tips to get started:

• Park your car farther away from the store, movie theater, your office, etc.

• Get your friends and family involved. Set a regular walking date, such as after dinner. Or do something that all ages can enjoy – shoot hoops, take a bike ride, or just dance around the house.

• Take a walk during your lunch break or push the baby’s stroller around the mall.

• Don’t just watch the kids at the playground … play with them.

• Deliver a message to a co-worker in person instead of by e-mail, and take the stairs instead of the elevator.

• Exhausted from a busy day and just want to plop on the couch in front of the TV? Use the commercial breaks to stretch, take a quick walk around your home, do some sit-ups, or march in place.

Get Tested!

Women who develop gestational diabetes have high blood glucose (blood sugar) levels during pregnancy. Immediately after pregnancy, 5 to 10 percent of women with gestational diabetes are found to have diabetes, usually type 2. All women with gestational diabetes should be tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after their baby is born. In many cases, their blood glucose levels show they are no longer considered to have diabetes at this time. Read More

All moms need more time to handle their busy schedules – that’s a universal truth – but it could be argued that no one feels that cataclysmic time shift more than a first-time mother. Suddenly, there is little room for showering and sleeping, let alone for making grocery lists, keeping up with workout routines, planning weekly meals, or managing a household budget. The good news is that help is just a download away.

Smart moms use smart phones

According to “Dr. Mom Study 3,” conducted by BabyCenter, smartphone ownership is higher among moms than the general population and moms spend an average of 6.1 hours a day with their smartphones. Having the right apps ready to assist is just one way to save time, money and sanity while moms focus on their new role.

New moms should consider the following apps as they gear up to bring an infant home or focus on those first few months with their little one. All of the apps are free, user-friendly and ready to make motherhood easier:

• Similac StrongMoms Baby Journal app – Gone are the days of juggling notebooks to jot down feedings and diaper changes or booting up the laptop to enter sleeping schedules. This app allows moms who breastfeed, formula-feed and pump to easily track feedings, diapering, growth and sleeping patterns – and create graphs to help monitor them – anywhere, anytime. Moms can even email reports to family, friends or the pediatrician. Read more about the features of this app at http://similac.com/app.

• Grocery iQ – No more racking your brain to jot down a grocery list. With Grocery iQ, simply scan the barcodes of products in the kitchen that need to be replenished and they’re automatically added to the list. You can also search for millions of items independently. Once complete, the list can be synchronized with other devices, so when mom is home with baby, dad can feel confident he’s picking up the right stuff. To read more, visit www.groceryiq.com.

• Calorie Counter by My Net Diary – New moms should ease into any kind of physical activity, but many are eager to reinvest in their physique. Calorie Counter avoids fad dieting and helps tailor a diet to mom’s personal preferences, giving her a better chance for long-term success. With an expansive food database, automatic recent history, recipes, custom foods, an emphasis on key nutrients and a community to help with morale; this is an all-in-one diet app. Check out this app at www.mynetdiary.com.

• AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner - Dinner still needs to get on the table, even when the fridge is low on food and mom’s brain is even lower on sleep. With the AllRecipes Dinner Spinner app, simply plug in the ingredients available on hand and a variety of recipes will appear to take the guesswork out of mealtime. Visit www.allrecipes.com to check it out.

Stocking up on these apps before baby arrives, or downloading them once baby comes home, can alleviate some of mom’s stress as she adjusts to the wonderful chaos that her infant will bring and what better time to start than the very beginning?

For more information on the Similac Baby Journal app, visit http://similac.com/app.

Motor development delay is a common concern for both parents and pediatricians.  Naturally, parents tend to compare their child to their other children or those of friends.  Pediatricians observe the infant in the office and ask questions to screen for developmental delay.  Of course, the earlier a problem is detected, the earlier the parents and pediatricians (and physical therapists, if necessary) can begin treatment.  Many general pediatricians simply ask, “Does your child roll over?” and other similar questions. Parents often are concerned if their child is not meeting the milestones, but it is completely normal for a child to be behind or ahead of other children.

Parents do not always realize that there is a developmental range for acquisition of motor, language, and social-emotional skills.  To understand this range, one only has to look at the Denver Developmental Screen (initially developed in the 1960s) to understand that developmental skills occur in defined windows of time.  Although the test has been criticized for not being sensitive enough to less severe problems or specific deficits, the results list the percentages of children meeting each milestone at a particular age.

Not only do children develop motor skills at different rates, some even develop their skills in different sequences. Motor skills generally progress from the center of the body outward and from the head downward.  For example, when learning to walk, most infants slowly transfer responsibility for movement from their arms to their legs.  However, some children skip certain stages of crawling, or never crawl at all, before they learn to walk. This is completely normal.

The most important points to remember are to be patient with motor development, continue discussing your concerns with your pediatrician and get an evaluation if necessary. Don’t worry if your child seems to be developing slower than others or slower than you would like—mostly likely, he or she is right on target.

Daniel Weissbluth is a Pediatrician in Chicago and a co-creator of the Weissbluth Method Infant Nap App and the Weissbluth Method Toddler Bedtime App available on all Apple Mobile Devices.  He writes with his father, Marc Weissbluth, on their blog, “Weissbluth Method” and recently edited his newest eBook:  “Six Sleep Problems and Solutions” available at all eBook stores.

References:
1. Frankenburg, William K.; Dobbs, J.B. (1967). “The Denver Developmental Screening Test”. The Journal of Pediatrics 71 (71): 181–191
2. Largo, R.H, Molinari, M. Weber, L.C Pinto and G. Duc. (1985).  “Early Development of Locomotion:  Significance of Prematurity, Cerebral Palsy, and Sex”  Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology.  27, 183-19

While nearly every movie or sitcom dramatization of childbirth features the obligatory frantic drive to the hospital, a growing number of women are reconsidering the hospital option altogether. Why? Many mothers-to-be are re-evaluating their options and considering birth centers or homebirth because of concerns about hospital practices that are not based on the best evidence and because more information is available about the safety of out-of-hospital births for most women.

A mother’s choice of a birthplace is one of the most critical decisions she will make during her pregnancy. It’s important for mothers to take the time to consider what environment will improve their chances of receiving evidence-based birth practices that are safest for their babies.

Maternity care advocates have long recognized a gap between the care provided in some settings and the practices research has shown to benefit laboring mothers and their babies.

Reflecting the growing trend among mothers, a recent meeting of midwives, doctors, childbirth educators and many other stakeholders in the maternity health community provided a platform for discussion on how best to meet the evolving needs of mothers and babies. The Home Birth Consensus Summit marked a turning point in the intensifying debate over safe and appropriate birthplaces and the decision-making power women should have. In fact, the summit was recognized during a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), who cited it as an important step in improving maternal health in the United States.

Following are six tips that will help mothers find the birth setting that’s right for them:

1. Choose a birthplace that allows you to be comfortable and secure.

The environment should enhance, rather than disrupt, labor and birth. Research has shown that birth is easier when you can freely move and change position in labor. Certain comfort methods, like activity and rest, eating and drinking, and bathing are more available to women who give birth outside of the hospital and/or are attended by midwives. Visit your prospective birth setting to get a feel for your comfort level.

2. Look for a caregiver whose philosophy about birth matches your own.

Places of birth and caregivers often go hand in hand. In making your choice, look for a caregiver who helps you feel confident and supported through pregnancy, labor and birth.  Whether an obstetrician, a family doctor or a midwife, it’s important that your caregiver listens, respects your ideas and questions and encourages you to make informed decisions. Read More

This holiday season, road trips can be a fun, economical alternative to flying. But as hours on the open road add up and fast food wrappers stack up, tempers can flare, setting a stressful tone for what should be pleasurable days ahead.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Armed with the right strategies, not only can you and your family survive a long car trip and the travel food that often goes along with it; you can use it as a way to bond and kick off a fun-filled holiday getaway.

One good idea is to fight mental stress with physical stress. At least every two hours, do something that stresses your muscles for 30 to 60 seconds.

Human growth hormone (HGH) levels rise when you stress muscles for as little as 30 seconds. Once HGH starts to flow, you automatically feel less hungry, so you’ll be less likely to stop for food on the road. HGH also helps promote general muscle strength. To keep levels high and prevent mindless eating in the car, do one of the following exercises for at least 30 seconds every two hours you’re in the car:

• Take your hands and press them together as hard as you can, palms flat, elbows at shoulder height. Pull in your stomach at the same time.

• Put your hands together as if you were praying and bend your fingers down so your knuckles are together and your hands form a heart shape. Then press your elbows together as hard as you can.

• Suck in your stomach and hold it tight for as long as you can. Release and breathe.

• For passengers, hold onto the seat, brace yourself, and try to lift your legs up off the ground. Keep your knees and ankles together, and try to bring your knees to your chest.

• Fill’er up – with fruit. Fruit naturally maintains electrolyte flow through your body, which keeps your muscles comfortable. Plus, because it is naturally pre-packaged in its skin, you can easily take fruit anywhere, making it the perfect snack for eating on the go. Want something a little more compact without sacrificing nutrition? Pack some prunes, banana chips, or dried apricots for the road.

• Forgo caffeine and soda and drink water. As tempting as it can be to drink energy-boosting beverages in the car, think twice before you indulge. It makes for an unpleasant trip when someone is jacked up on caffeine or sugar. Both can worsen the agitation travelers already feel from being cooped up in the car. Water is the best thing.

• Do your best Darth Vader impression. When things get tense in the car, it pays to pull over and take a deep breath, especially for the driver. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and when you breathe out, do your best Darth Vader impression. The added vibration has been proven to relax the body better. Take 10 of these deep breaths to help you regroup.

With a little planning and a few creative strategies, you can survive any road trip with your sanity-and health-intact.

Dian Griesel, PhD, and Tom Griesel, authors of “TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust” (BSH, 2011). TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment. Common sense and a desire to be lean are all that is required for success at any age. For more information, log on http://turbocharged.us.com/about-2/learn-more/. Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/turbochargedUS and Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/diangriesel.

I had just turned off the evening news and was on my way to the kitchen to begin dinner when Lizzie ran up to me, grabbed my waist and with very serious eyes, looked up to me and asked me this question. “Mommy, what if Santa can’t afford Christmas this year?”

Lizzie had been in earshot of the evening news and no doubt heard enough of the financial woes and was concerned. I hesitated, not wanting to scare her, but also not wanting to lie to her. Her father and I had expressed concern about bills, the holidays, and taxes–all of which may have contributed to Lizzie’s question and concern. I wasn’t sure what a 7-year-old should be told; but since I had always prided myself in open discussion, I decided to take the time and talk with Lizzie in an effort to answer her question.

You don’t have to be a news buff to be aware that times are tough right now. Protests are happening in every country including our own, news of banks making money but still charging a checking fee for customers; and there is fighting between politicians with ranting and raving depending on where their support dollars are coming from. It’s crazy, and on a more basic level, every household is trying to re-budget and pay back debt. Many of those households are full of children with holiday wish lists longer than your credit card receipts.

Parents with children such as Lizzie will be more effective at teaching their children the true meaning of the holidays, the depth of family love, and mentoring responsible spending if they take these sorts of questions seriously. Lizzie asked a serious question in her 7-year-old mind.

Here are five important tips that can be used again and again as the holidays grow closer.

1. Santa has nothing to do with money. Santa is about feeling loved and cared for. The toy you love most, and that will make you feel most loved, is the one Santa will try his best to get. It is important that as a parent, you help guide your child with gift requests. If you know your child wants a $100 toy, and you can only afford $50, then suggest another toy that would make your child feel just as loved. Don’t do this in a critical manner, but in a loving, supportive manner. Something such as this, “I know you want that toy, but that is so much money for one toy. What other toy could you get that would make you feel just as loved?” If you do this with a loving tone of voice, you are teaching compassion, understanding, and problem solving.

2. Reassure your child that adults like the spirit of the holidays too, and they are not going to let a Christmas go by–no matter how poor they are–without celebrating. No matter who you are, you should make every effort to celebrate holidays with your child. No matter what holiday you celebrate, children learn from the ritual and the spiritual concepts that surround the holidays.

3. Make the focus of the holidays on friends and family. Look at “wish lists” but also promote thinking of others. Children are very egocentric at young ages; that means it’s more important for parents not to be. Children who turn into generous, compassionate, and loving adults were nurtured by loving, compassionate and generous parents. You don’t have to be wealthy to be generous, loving and compassionate. Perhaps try sorting out good but used toys or books that are no longer age appropriate and going with your child to donate them to a children’s hospital or shelter where these might be greatly appreciated.

4. Parents need to set a budget for gifts and stick to it. The best gifts of all are the ones that cost the least, but speak the loudest of love and caring. Last year, a friend of mine bought me three pairs of running socks (I am a runner. I use these every single day). Inside the toe of each sock, she rolled up a slip of paper that had a quote of something I had said to her that meant the most throughout the year. Six quotes…so meaningful. It was my FAVORITE gift. The idea of giving a gift is thinking of what the person would like, or letting them know how they touched your life.

5. Let Lizzie know frequently, and any other child, that the economic crisis may mean everyone has less, but it will never take away their family. Santa may not be giving out as many gifts, but that’s okay because you have the best gift of all with one another. Children (and parents) who are reassured that their family is strong and loving can endure this and anything else.

To be honest, Lizzie, you may not get the biggest, most expensive toy this year, but the holidays will have more love than last year because the bigger you get, the more loving you become, and the more grateful I am to be your parent.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

As a pediatrician, parents are constantly asking me about parenting advice they’ve heard from friends and family members. I got so many questions, in fact, that my colleagues and I came up with a list of myths, including marketing claims, old-wives tales, superstitions and grandmotherly advice, that parents have passed on to us.

Some of these myths were funny, some were dangerous and some were designed with one purpose: to make some manufacturer out there a lot of money. But we wondered if there was any evidence that these myths and stories were true. And how could we debunk the false tips to help parents take better care of their children and stop them from wasting their hard-earned money?

One popular myth pediatricians hear is that teething causes fever, so let’s start there. Teething has a long history in medicine. Fever, diarrhea, infection and death have all been attributed to the first breakthrough of primary teeth in babies.

There was a point in history where lancing the gums was considered a treatment for this so-called ailment. After reviewing a parent’s report of symptoms, measurements of fever and having a pediatric dentist look for signs of tooth eruption, no connection between teething and any of these conditions was discovered. So why do parents continue to believe this myth? I think it is because tooth eruption occurs over the months and years when many other childhood illnesses also occur.

Teething may change an infant’s food preferences for the bottle or solid food. Additionally, putting various objects in the mouth to relieve the teething pain can expose the infant to viruses that may cause a runny nose or diarrhea. That does not mean, however, that tooth eruption itself is responsible for diarrhea or congestion. The only connection that exists is of some children experiencing ear pain when their molars come in. This may be due to swelling in and around the Eustachian tube.

This is just one example of the type of myths we studied and, in this case, debunked. There are hundreds out there, with more being created every day. My colleagues and I have addressed many of the most common ones, and we will continue to find the answers to parent’s most pressing concerns.

World-renowned pediatrician Marc Weissbluth and Daniel Weissbluth are the creators of the Weissbluth Method Parent Myth App currently featuring 33 popular parent myths. It is available for free on the iPhone, iPad and iTouch platforms running iOS 3.0 or later.

1. Crying Changes: While it may be hard to tell if your baby is crying from colic, a baby who has changed from his/her normal behavior and is inconsolable despite usual attempts to soothe, may be sick.

2. Color Changes: Changes in your baby’s skin color can be a sign that something is not quite right. Specific changes to be wary of include: • Turning blue, especially around the lips or face. • Yellow, pale or mottled skin (or any other changes from your baby’s normal skin tone), • Rapidly spreading rash.

3. Tone Changes: Infants are not known for their superior muscle tone. But you know how your baby normally feels, the strength of their grip, and how they support themselves. Be aware if this changes. You should be concerned if your baby feels unusually limp or weak, different than “normal”.

4. Sleeping Pattern Changes: Changes that might indicate a problem with your newborn include: • Sleeping much more than usual, • Acting less alert, • Having difficulty waking your baby (baby is not arousable).

5. Breathing Changes: Changes in breathing patterns, including the following, are especially concerning. • Slow or rapid breathing, • Irregular breathing pattern (different from normal pattern), • Nostrils flaring, • Belly or ribs moving unusually with breathing – breathing seems labored. • Not breathing.

The preceding information is intended to empower and inform parents’ decisions. Its development was funded as part of a generous grant from R Baby Foundation. The R Baby Foundation seeks to save the lives of newborn babies by educating parents, supporting research, and providing emergency room equipment and training to medical professionals.

The R Baby Foundation® is the first and only not-for-profit foundation uniquely focused on saving babies lives through improving pediatric emergency care. R Baby Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that babies, including those in the first month of life suffering from viral infections and other infectious diseases, receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting life-saving pediatric training, education, research, treatment and equipment.

Back before you were a parent, the end of daylight savings was a welcome relief to pitch black mornings. An extra hour of sleep is more valuable than gold, especially post parenthood. Enter Sweet Bundle of Joy who doesn’t share your affinity of snoozing and also has a set, circadian rhythm that doesn’t magically readjust over a weekend. Your baby doesn’t care that Uncle Sam dictates a useless time adjustment every six months.

As if parenting weren’t already the hardest thing anyone has ever done in the history of doing things, we must deal with the time change and our children. Here’s what will happen, if you’re new to fall-back with children: they wake up after the same number of hours of sleep. So if Junior typically wakes up at 7:00 a.m., you’ll now have a 6:00 a.m. early riser after the change. Start gearing up for that adjustment now with these six easy tips.

1. Extend bedtime a little later each night.

Folks who prefer to rip the band-aid off may just push through a few tough days and move bedtime forward a full hour immediately. Older children can handle a change like that a bit easier. But if you have a baby or toddler, I recommend pushing bedtime back by ten or fifteen minutes for a few nights. This will take some discipline, but establishing a solid bedtime routine and sticking to it is not only important for your sanity, but for your child’s health, too.

2. Expect grumpy toddlers for up to three weeks.

Again, the younger the child the longer it will take to adjust. According to multiple studies, poor or inadequate sleep causes irritability, stress and anxiety. No big surprise there. Pile on top of that an inability to verbally communicate and you’ve got a cranky young child on your hands for days, if not weeks. Just brace yourselves and prepare to expect some rocky terrain.

3. Reduce other variables to focus on sleep.

Kids do really well when they have time to hone in on one skill or hurdle at a time. If you’re potty training, pull back on the reins for a while to let the lack of sleep pass. Trying to concentrate while sleep deprived makes you ineffective and irritable — and the same goes for Junior.

4. Get room darkening shades or curtains.

Kids sense morning like sharks smell blood; the tiniest crack of daylight can wake even the hardest young sleeper. Keeping it dark in your child’s room will encourage more sleep in the morning, something you’ll want all year round. If you’re not a fan of drapes, grab online coupons for custom blinds from sites like CouponSherpa, and outfit your windows with tailored dressings on the cheap.

5. Consistency is key.

It’s tempting to give in to Little Darling when she pitches a fit for candy at the grocery store. If you give in to her demands, she’ll just ratchet up the decibels on your next visit. That same principle applies to adjusting your clocks back. Stick to later naps and a later bedtime to avoid prolonged pain. According to Kim West, social worker and sleep coach, children will adjust to your age-appropriate sleep requirements when you are consistent. This means having the exact same routine every night and responding in the same way to your child’s testing.

6. Minimize exposure to artificial light.

There’s solid evidence that exposure to artificial light limits the production of melatonin, a key hormone in regulating the sleep/wake cycle. This goes for TV too. Cut the pre-bedtime cartoons and opt for relaxing, sleep-friendly activities like reading or puzzles.

Ashley Grimaldo comes from a long line of penny pinchers and enjoys blogging on money-saving tips and advice for frugal-minded parents. She lives with her husband and three children in Bryan, Texas. Ashley has been featured among such media outlets as Redbook, The Chicago Tribune, Time.com, and CBS News-Houston. For all media inquiries, please contact Ashley Grimaldo at ashley@kinoliinc.com.