911 Internet Savvy For Parent’s Part I

The internet could be considered an entry into a brave new world for this millennium. To be successful in this world you must have access and knowledge of how to use the internet. Children that are able to use the internet will be better prepared for high school, college and the job market.

Lawrence J. Magid of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children states, “millions of people are now going online to exchange electronic mail (E-mail) and instant messages; participate in chat groups; post and read messages in newsgroups, which are sometimes called bulletin boards; “surf” the world wide web; and many other online activities. Children are no exception in fact they are more likely to be online than adults.” The internet is a powerful, educational learning tool that can also be extremely dangerous for children.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006, Austin American -Statesman reported that a teenagers , mother was suing http://MySpace.com for $30 million the suit filed in Travis County claims popular Internet site fails to protect children from adult sexual predators. The lawsuit includes news reports of other assault cases in which girls were contacted through MySpace. The real question here is should MySpace be held responsible for the safety of your child or is that your job.

MySpace is not the only social networking website just the largest boasting a membership of 70-80 million users, Bebo ranks 2nd with a membership of 23million users and other popular teen sites include http://WeeWorld.com, http://Friendster.com, http://Tagged.com, http://Xanga.com and http://Orkut.com. An article published on June 4, 2006 in Fairfield New Zealand Ltd., Stuff on, “Social Networking Websites Target NZ Teens in Turf Battle” by Kent Atkinson asserts that, children flock online to hang out with friends, express their hopes and dreams and bare their souls with often painful honesty – mostly unbeknownst to their tech-clumsy parents.

All of theses incident have occurred within the last couple of months. There are so many safety features on the internet for parents to use that these incidents should not have happened. You would not send you child outside to play on a busy freeway because it is dangerous, well so is the internet. Parents are going to have to accept the responsibility of monitoring their child’s usage on the internet. There are many tools to help the novice internet users and the expert internet users monitor there children.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH PARENTAL CONTROLS

AOL Parental Controls

Monitor online activity with AOLฎ Guardian

Opt for AOLฎ Guardian "report cards" that show your kids' Web surfing, e-mail and IM activity.
Limit their online time

Monitor how long your kids are online. Set controls by day, time of day or session length.
Approve e-mail contacts

Help your kids' communicate with friends by creating a list of approved e-mail addresses.
Manage settings away from home

Manage Parental Controls remotely via http://AOL.com. You don't have to be there to monitor your kids' activity and Internet safety on AOL.

Limit access to other software, too

Prevent your kids from viewing inappropriate web content on an external browser (like Microsoftฎ Internet Explorer) and block other Internet applications outside AOL.

Earthlink, Parental Controls

Web Blocking and Filtering

Limit your child's Web surfing to EarthLink's list of more than 15,000 kid-friendly Web sites, or let your kids visit all Web sites except for the 3 million sites that EarthLink has blocked. You can also create your own lists of approved and blocked Web sites. Even if a site is not specifically blocked by you or EarthLink, Parental Controls can automatically check the language on all Web pages your child visits and remove inappropriate language before displaying them. If the number of inappropriate words on a Web page is excessive, Parental Controls blocks the site completely.

CyberFriends

CyberFriends are the people you allow your child to communicate with online. You create a list of approved pals—friends and family—so that you don't have to worry about your child being bothered by strangers. You can also define which features of the CyberFriends Communicator (email, chat, bulletin boards, instant messaging, etc.) your child can use.

Email Screening

If someone who is not a CyberFriend sends email to your child, Parental Controls locks that email so that you can review it first. You can then unlock the message so your child to see it, or simply delete it. Parental Controls also locks email that your child sends to non-CyberFriends; you can either unlock or delete those emails, too.

Time Limits

If you're concerned about your child spending too much time online, you can restrict the hours per day, week, or month that your child can use the Internet.
SBC Yahoo Parental Controls

Parental controls to help you exercise control over the content your children can view on the Internet

AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Parental Controls

Software allows you to control your child’s time spent online, access to web sites, email addresses, and more. It even sends weekly report cards.

JUNO

Norton Parental Control Blocks access to Web sites and newsgroups that you consider unsuitable for children. It provides you with an option to set up different Internet access privileges for each person in your household and limit their browsing capabilities.

The list above represents ISP companies that specifically address parental controls. There are many Internet Service Providers that may have parental control check with your service provider to see if available to you.

SEARCH ENGINES WITH FILTERS

Google’s SafeSearch

Many users prefer not to have adult sites included in search results (especially if their kids use the same computer). Google's SafeSearch screens for sites that contain explicit sexual content and deletes them from your search results. No filter is 100% accurate, but SafeSearch should eliminate most inappropriate material.

You can choose from among three SafeSearch settings:

• Moderate filtering excludes most explicit images from Google Image Search results but doesn’t filter ordinary web search results. This is your default SafeSearch setting; you’ll receive moderate filtering unless you change it.

• Strict filtering applies SafeSearch filtering to all your search results (i.e., both image search and ordinary web search).

• No Filtering, as you’ve probably figured out, turns off SafeSearch filtering completely.

Yahoo! Family Account

Yahoo! Family Account is a free account that allows you to control the information your child shares with Yahoo! and to maintain and monitor their account on an ongoing basis. With your Yahoo! Family Account, you can:

• Create separate Yahoo! IDs for each child under 13 in your family.
• Modify your child's account information and other information stored on Yahoo!.
• Modify your child's Yahoo! Mail Block List and Yahoo! Messenger Friend List and Ignore List.
• Sign in as your child to modify any aspect of their account.
• Protect your child from accessing certain age-restricted areas of Yahoo!.

Yahoo! Family Accounts also offers a set of resources to help your family learn to safely surf the Web.

Children’s Search Engines

These search engines are designed specifically for children and have built in filters.

YAHOOLIGANS
PEACHPOD
ASK FOR KIDS
KIDS CLICK

The only way that you can be sure that your child is safe on the internet is to monitor your child’s activities. You must spend as much time reviewing and checking your child’s internet surfing as you would teaching your child to hit a baseball. Surfing the internet safely is a skill that you will have to teach your child, it may also be a learning opportunity for you.

10 Commandments of Parenting

Michael Grose’s
10 Commandments for Parenting            

Here are the wisest commandments ever commended to parents:


1.Thou shalt be consistent.  Do as you say you will. Children know where they stand when you are consistent, follow through and mean what you say.

2.Thou shalt expect children to contribute (without being paid). Expect children to help at home but don’t expect them to do so graciously all the time. Here is a question to ask yourself from time to time: What do your children do that someone else relies on?

3.Thou shalt encourage regularly and persistently. Remember that encouragement and praise will get children a lot further than criticism and punishment so be your child’s best encourager rather than his fiercest critic. Encouragement helps a child link his or her self-esteem to the process, rather than the results of what they do.

4.Thou shalt put responsibility where it belongs. Treat children and young people as you want them to be. If you want responsible, capable children then treat them as if they are responsible. The best way to develop responsibility is to give it to children.

5.Thou shalt be know that children and young people only see one side of any issue. Thou shalt take everything they say with a large grain of salt. Not that children and young people lie, but they have been known to exaggerate or see facts only from their side.

6.Thou shalt show love and affection to your children. Thou shalt say you love each of your children at least once a day. Knowing they are loveable is the basis of self worth, regardless of their age.

7.Thou shalt catch children and young people behaving well. Pay attention to your children’s positive behaviour more than their negative behaviour. What you focus on expands so if you focus on the positive behaviour that is what you generally get. Give descriptive feedback so that your children know what they did well. E.g. “That was great the way you two worked out the TV-watching problem without arguing. You both compromised a little which is smart.”

8.Thou shalt develop independence in children from the earliest possible age. Never regularly do for a child the things he or she can do for him or herself. Remember, your job is to make yourself redundant.

9.Thou shalt set limits and boundaries for children and expect that they will push against them. Children and young people need limits and boundaries as they make them feel secure.

10.Thou shalt keep a sense of humour when dealing with children. This will help you keep things in perspective. It may seem improbable some days but they will soon grow up and be out of your hair and be a living, breathing reflection of YOU.


The 11th (and most important )commandment:

Thou shalt be a good role model for your children. Show rather than tell children and young people how you want them to communicate, behave and live. Children learn what they live and, as parents, your actions speak louder than your words.


Enjoy!

5 Ways to Keep Your Kids From Getting Sick

Teachers are finding it more of a challenge than ever to keep their classrooms healthy and clean for students, according to a recent survey of teachers.

The survey found that 90 percent of teachers think it is "common for students to come to school sick." Only about 30 percent said their schools' custodial staff disinfects the classrooms regularly.

"Germs are frequently spread through surface contact yet many teachers do not have the time or the tools to combat these germs," said Dr. Paul S. Horowitz, medical director of the Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital pediatric and adolescent clinics in Portland, Ore. "This discrepancy can directly impact the health and wellness of both students and teachers."

More than 70 percent of teachers said they have missed school because of an illness they believe they caught from one of their students. The survey was conducted by the children's publisher Scholastic and released during an American Medical Association and National PTA media briefing on children's health.

Encouraging children to live a healthy lifestyle outside the classroom is important in illness prevention, said Janis Hootman, a registered nurse and immediate past president of the National Association of School Nurses.

"Children's health habits away from school have a direct impact on what happens to them and their classmates during school," Hootman said.

Doctors offer the following tips for parents:

* Make sure that your kids wash their hands. This is the single most effective method for disease prevention. Hands should be scrubbed for 10 to 15 seconds.

* Don't allow your children to share utensils. Although learning to share is important, this shouldn't apply to cups, glasses or eating utensils.

* Make sure your children get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation stresses the immune system. Most children need at least eight hours of sleep per night.

* Allow for a full recovery. Do not send your kids to school when they are sick.

* Keep your children up-to-date on vaccines. New vaccines guard against an array of dangerous illnesses, including meningitis.

"We've come so far in protecting public health as a result of widespread immunizations," said Dr. Walter A. Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, Ga. "We protect each other by vaccinating our children."

"Safety First" Tips For Water Fun

There may be few better ways to spend a hot day than at the beach, lake, water park or swimming pool but amid all the fun and games it is important to put safety first.

Learning to swim and be safe in and around the water are important survival skills. Accidents only take a few seconds to occur, but they can often be prevented by ensuring your loved ones follow simple water safety guidelines.

Pioneers in swimming instruction and water safety, the nation's YMCAs are celebrating 100 years of group swimming instruction to children and adults. The YMCA offers these tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe in and around the water during the summer and at any time of year:

• Make sure children are supervised by an adult at all times.

• No one, not even adults, should ever swim alone.

• Be prepared in an emergency by learning lifesaving, first aid and CPR techniques.

• Always have a stocked first aid kit, phone, emergency numbers and sunscreen close at hand.

• Follow the posted rules in any water environment.

• Backyard pools should have posted rules, ring buoy and security fences with self-closing gates and childproof locks.

• If you have an above-ground pool, secure and lock the steps or remove them completely when not in use.

• Be aware of water depth, incline and any underwater obstructions before diving. Never dive in water less than nine feet deep.

• Children should use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Avoid inflatable toys including armbands or "swimmies"-they can be dangerous, giving a false sense of confidence.

• And finally, everyone should learn swimming and basic water safety skills. The YMCA offers swimming classes for all ages and levels.

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity, what was once shocking and disturbing has now become a fact of life, as adult obesity increased childhood obesity is growing and rapidly increasing. With bad eating habits and fatty diet and some hereditary influence some kids are doomed to battle childhood obesity late into their twenties, childhood obesity has become a wide spread phenomena and the risks involved in childhood obesity are becoming clearer with time.

The numbers present a sad reality, one of five children is considered overweight, and this tendency only increases with time, childhood obesity is increasing in different ethnic groups, in both genders and all across the world, North America and Western Europe are leading the charts in regards to childhood obesity, but other regions of the world are not to far behind.

Some expert claim that if something is not done to stop childhood obesity immediately we will witness a whole generation becoming twice as heavy as its parents and grandparents were, with this gain of weight other health risks are becoming more and more evident and have a huge effect on larger groups.

It is clear that we have an epidemic of obesity in our country, and that, as we get used to seeing more overweight people at work, in school and on the streets, we are accepting this condition as reality, rather than working to change the situation.

For this increase in childhood obesity we can blame our way of life first, the car has replaced a lot of walking which was very important for our hearts and muscle mass, most of us spend most of our free time in front of the television or the computer, and most of the time we are in front of these appliances we also indulge in eating fatty food such as pizza and ice cream. Junk food has become an acceptable meal, what was once considered a last option for children meal has become the default in choosing our kids meals.

Lets consider the dangers of obesity, and bare in mind that we usually think of adults when we talk about these risks, which makes this even worst. Too little exercise.

And too much of the wrong kind of food is associated with Type II diabetes, all sorts of heart disease and blood pressure problems, joint problems related to weight bearing, self esteem and confidence issues, high cholesterol, mental problems such as depression and sleep disruption, unstable mental stamina, pulmonary problems. The research in this field points to one clear fact, if you are obese as a child you start a far higher chance to be an obese adult, so childhood obesity is not some childhood problematic phase that goes away after some time, childhood obesity can lead to a very problematic adulthood.

What can be done to prevent childhood obesity and how can we stop this dangerous tendency? First thing we could do right away is to stop using our cars so much and walk a little more, any kind of physical exercise is good for young children, we are not talking about gym and pushups, even an enjoyable basketball game, 45 minutes three times a week can do wonders, and the great thing about kids is that they enjoy playing – they sometimes just need a little encouragement to get them going. This alone can start you off in your battle against childhood obesity. Take childhood obesity seriously, it is not something that will go away, exercise and healthy eating are vital for a young body to develop well and to enjoy longevity and healthy life. Good luck fighting – and beating childhood obesity.

Budget Baby Layettes

Getting what you need for your newborn without going broke

It’s been said time and again that babies cost a pretty penny. Although little Brad or Jennifer won’t hop out of the birth canal and start demanding servants and expensive electronic gadgets, they do represent some additional expenses that can be wallet-draining when considered all at once. Fortunately the expenses do not have to be incurred all at once – even an unplanned pregnancy allots nine months to plan and gradually deal with the expenses associated with procreation. There are several steps that expectant parents can take to help cut down on some of the major expenses that are expected.

Baby Showers

A baby shower is a time honored tradition in which expectant mothers get a bunch of free stuff from their friends and family members. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to take advantage of this situation. A decent shower can often cover most of the immediate baby layette needs. Usually someone will offer to hold a shower for the expectant mom, but she shouldn’t be afraid to drop hints to close friends and family or even come right out and ask for a shower.

Buy Diapers in Advance

When is the best time to start buying diapers and other such essentials? The moment after conception would be ideal, but since most women don’t know that they’re expecting until weeks or even months later, you may have to settle for “as soon as you find out.” Start adding diapers to your regular shopping list and try to pick up one or two packages each week. Varying between size one and two is a good idea, with perhaps a pack or two of the newborn size. If you have a bigger baby you don’t want to be stuck with lots of newborn size diapers that you’ll never use. If the baby is “normal” size it is easy to buy newborn sizes while you need them and rest easy in the knowledge that you’re already stocked up on the next sizes up. A lower cost alternative to this is to use a cloth diaper service if you can find one still in operation in your area.

Get Help & Buy Used Whenever Possible

For large baby needs like cribs, playpens, and strollers, try and get the help of family members with these purchases. Proud grandparents to be are usually more than happy to help with items like these. A lot of money can be saved by purchasing these items second-hand as well. If a used crib, stroller, or playpen is in good condition, there is no reason not to buy it over a new one. The only item you probably don’t want to buy used is a car seat. These items must meet safety requirements and there is no way to be sure that a used one measures up to current standards.

A little planning and thinking ahead is all it takes to save serious money on most of your initial and ongoing baby needs. They real key to setting up your baby layette on a budget is to start as soon as possible.

Babycity: Baby clothes and baby gifts online

Babycity is a leading provider of baby clothing, baby gifts and nursery products on-line. We aim to offer you the best products at the best prices, all combined with a service, which is second to none.

We stock a variety of products to cater for any new baby’s needs from tiny clothing for those first precious days, to nursery equipment and travel equipment. In fact we promise that if you can’t find it on-line at babycity, we will try and find it for you, saving you the time and hassle.

We have brought together a wealth of products from high street brand names including Avent, Tommee Tippee, Baby Bjorn, Tiny Love, Tiny Dee, Baby Dee and Doodle Dee, so you can rest assured they will be of the highest quality and style.

Amongst the products we sell are baby bodysuits, baby sleep suits, baby gifts, fashion ranges, feeding equipment, weaning equipment, baby carriers and baby toys and mobiles. In fact everything you need for your baby's early years. Click here to visit our store directory where all categories are clearly laid out.

Because we buy in bulk we can keep our prices low and pass the benefit on to you. In addition, customers who join the baby club can gain benefit from an extra discount on any purchase. It's free to join and members will receive regular information about special offers, promotions and discounts. With a no quibble returns policy and a helpful customer service department; it is an ideal place to shop without the hassle of the high street.

Baby Shower Secrets

Now, anyone can throw the Baby Shower and it’s not just for the women!Men are attending showers, even having their own.It’s all about celebrating a new life, and welcoming a new baby to the world. And all babies, not just the couple’s first child, are a cause for celebration.

Traditionally, a close female friend throws the Baby Shower and invites all the women close to the mother-to-be, to shower her with gifts and well wishes for the coming baby.While this is still the idea, the etiquette has changed from generation to generation.

Proper etiquette is very specific about the Baby Shower - never should the mother-to-be’s family throw the shower, lest people think they were asking for gifts.

Traditionally, a close female friend throws the Baby Shower and invites all the women close to the mother-to-be, to shower her with gifts and well wishes for the coming baby.While this is still the idea, the etiquette has changed from generation to generation.

Now, anyone can throw the Baby Shower and it’s not just for the women!Men are attending showers, even having their own.It’s all about celebrating a new life, and welcoming a new baby to the world. And all babies, not just the couple’s first child, are a cause for celebration.

Skipping the surprise shower can really ease the planning of any Baby Shower.If it’s not a surprise,the parents-to-be can help out with the guest list and help you avoid scheduling conflicts.

Grandma and Grandpa may not be the guests of honor, but you don’t want to find out too late that the most important guests can’t attend.So check with the parents-to-be to make sure you haven't left out anyone who should be included, and lets get this party started!

Once you have a general idea of the number of guests, you’ll want to start thinking about where to have the Baby Shower. You can host at your own home, reserve tables at your favorite restaurant, rent a reception hall, picnic at a park if you’ll be including children, or if this is a small group of female friends, why not make it a day at the spa with a catered lunch?

If you’re planning to rent or reserve space for the Shower, check on these details when looking around:how many guests will this location hold,is it available on your chosen date,can you decorate prior to the shower,what is the cost,what does it include,who is responsible for clean up.

It's always a good idea to schedule the Baby Shower about two to three months in advance of mom's due date. Unless, of course, you are having the shower after the baby is born.

"Hello World, Here I Am" Showers are a popular way to ensure everyone gets to see the new baby, and you'll want to wait at least a month after the baby is born for this one.

The time of day to host the shower is personal preference, and can be used to determine appropriate food and drink. If you just don’t know, ask the mother-to-be what part of the day she usually feels her best, and go from there.

Finger foods set around the room work great and encourage guests to mingle. If you don't want to prepare the food yourself, many bakers or grocers make deli trays of vegetables, fruit, or meats and cheeses.

They're arranged beautifully for any occasion and can be a life-saver, as well as a time-saver.When choosing drinks to serve, remember to include on-alcoholic and decaffeinated alternatives.

Coordinating is the easy part, but you probably don't want to do everything by yourself on the big day. Depending on the number of guests, it's easy to get overwhelmed and miss some of those small details that mean so much.

With all your planning, don’t forget a gift for the parents-to-be. Maybe your gift to the parents-to-be will be the Baby Shower itself, but if you're looking great gift ideas, try a customized baby basket, diaper cake or something just plain adorable from the baby gift store.

Don't lose sight of what this day is all about...a celebration! So remember to relax and have fun with your planning and hosting.

Baby Shower Cakes: Tips For Selecting A Great Cake

Planning and preparing for a baby shower can be a big chore. There are many, many things that need to be done leading up to the big day, this article will provide some helpful advice for a particularly important part of the baby shower planning process... choosing a cake.

For the party, you will think about what decorations to use on the place, what will be the program, what games to have, what baby shower favors to give, and, what to serve.

During the baby shower party, the table centerpiece is most likely to be a baby shower cake. The baby shower cake cannot be similar to the cake that can just be bought from the local bakeshop.

It is better if you or one of the guests baked the baby shower cake. Doing so will also assure you that the cake that will be served as a table centerpiece is in accordance with the theme that you have conceptualized.

Of course, preordering the cake will also be fine as long as you give enough time for the cake to be prepared and that you have discussed with the person who will prepare the cake the concept of the baby shower party and how you would like the cake to look.

However, if you have some baking skills, or if you can follow instructions from cookbooks well, it is advantageous to prepare the cake yourself. You can use your creativity for the design and you can always ask for help from friends. Needless to mention, it is also less costly.

To prepare the baby shower cake, check online for tried and tested recipes and designs. You can also choose the flavor of the baby shower cake.

Usually, the designs and shapes of baby shower cakes are nursery items. These are flowers, birds, butterflies, baby-shaped, toys and other kid stuff. The most common icing colors are yellow, pink, blue, green and white.

In addition, if you have scheduled the baby shower after the baby was born, you can also ask for the baby’s picture and have professional cake decorators create and edible cake design using the baby’s picture.

Another idea for the baby shower cake is to use diapers. That’s right – diapers. Of course, this cake is not for the guests to enjoy. However, the mom will definitely appreciate it if there is already a stack of diapers prepared for the baby.

To prepare a diaper cake, all you need to do is carefully stack rolled diapers into several levels (having three levels is suggested). You may use laces and ribbons to keep the diapers in place. However, make sure that you did not tie the diapers too tightly together to prevent them from being deformed. Deformed diapers will be useless and will just end up in the garbage bin.

The diaper cake can also be placed as a table centerpiece. If you still prefer to have a real cake for the baby shower, you can bake or order a simple cake from the bakeshop.

After preparing the table centerpiece, you need to combine it with good baby shower food. Most of the time, snacks, tea, desserts and punches are served. You can also have some barbecues and grilled foods, in case you have invited some male guests. The dads can bond and have some conversation while attending to the grills. This way, everyone can participate in welcoming the new member of the family.

Baby gift baskets

Babies are such bright and beautiful spirits who bless us with their presence and when they come into our world we are changed by their loving and beautiful spirit. So if it is that great time when you have some good news in your family or friends and you are in a state of confusion as what shall be the perfect gift for to be given to the parents or to show how much you care, baby gift basket would be a good idea indeed. A gift basket shall always be appreciated whether it is going to be a baby boy or baby girl. You can either purchase a professional baby gift basket or you can also create one of your own. Mostly gift baskets in the market are very expensive that could cost you over $100 and therefore if you want to avoid spending much and also add a personal touch or care to your gift, you can surely go for a handmade or customized baby gift basket.

  How to create a baby gift basket? 

1. For creating a baby gift basket, you should determine the size of the basket and if you feel that you won’t be in a position to fill a large basket, you should preferably use a small basket. You need to buy one such basket, raffia or tissue paper for filling, baby blankets, straw or shredded grass that you will easily find in any craft stores.

  2. Next consideration is whether the baby is a boy or girl and whether it has already taken birth so that you can arrive at a decision as what things will be required by the baby. Another thing is whether the baby is the first child or not because if it is not the first arrival at the home then the mother of the child will be having most of the necessary things already at home.

  3. An imaginative idea would be the use of a small laundry basket that could sit upon a dresser or a baby bath tub or anything such as baby diaper bag instead of using a actual gift basket. If it is the first child in the home you can easily include most of the basic things such as baby toys, rattles, baby shampoos, lotions, wiping diapers, burp clothes, bibs, diaper rash ointments and various baby clothes.
4. If it is the case of second or third birth, you can create a smaller basket including items for the other children that will not let them feel left aside. You can fill with items such as coloring puzzles, toys or snacks. You can also gift a labor basket to a mother who is expecting with items that are needed at the hospital or relaxation tape or CD, slippers, magazines, candy, hair clip, bubble bath, disposable camera, calling card or gift certificates.