Watch out for that tree(house)

Last update: July 4, 2009 - 12:43 PM

Although you might have fond memories of playing in a tree house, it's important to take precautions if you're building one for your children. Each year, more than 2,700 kids visit the emergency room for tree-house-related injuries, according to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Follow these rules to keep your kids safe:

• Build the house so it's no more than 10 feet off the ground.

• Cover a zone 3 feet wide around each side of the tree house with at least 9 inches of mulch. Avoid using wood chips, gravel or sand, which don't offer enough cushioning.

• Build on branches that are at least 8 inches thick. Be sure they're free of fungus or damaged bark, which could be a sign that they're weak.

• Never fasten ropes or chains (even rope ladders) to the structure -- they're a strangulation hazard.

• Don't allow kids younger than 6 to play in a tree house unless they're with an adult.

• If your tree house sits higher than 4 feet, attach solid walls (not guardrails) around the edge of the platform, and make sure they're at least 38 inches high.

PARENTS.COM

Beat the wheat

For the estimated 30 million Americans with gluten intolerance, Yoga Journal offers a clear, informative update on wheat-free eating in its August issue. Writer Karen Kelly tells the story of Carol Fenster, a wheat farmer's wife who discovered her family's favorite grain was responsible for her debilitating sinus infections. Her symptoms disappeared when she removed wheat and other grains with the protein gluten from her diet. Kelly offers a surprisingly wide range of wheat alternatives. If you prefer to follow a recipe, Yoga Journal has one for chai almond cookies and one for blueberry millet pancakes.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

For more on gluten intolerance, read staff writer Josephine Marcotty's story from last week at startribune.com.