Just brilliant!
Click on the link to read Should Parents Ban Smartphones from Their Kids’ Room at Night?
Click on the link to read Mom Shaming is a Disease that Has to Stop
Click on the link to read Going Overboard for Your Child’s First Day of School
Click on the link to read How This Mother Celebrated Her Son’s Graduation (Photo)
It’s not my business to tell parents what to do, but the research seems pretty clear:
For the study, researchers from the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research Data asked more than 800 12- to 15-year-olds about their sleep habits — including how often they woke up at night to use social media. Researchers also asked about the teens’ levels of energy and well-being.
What did the researchers find? Waking up at night to use social networking platforms like Snapchat and Instagram was surprisingly common. Twenty-two percent of 12- and 13-year-olds and 23 percent of 14- and 15-year-olds said they “almost always” did so. More than a third said they did at least once a week.
This behavior seems to take a real toll. More than half of the heavier nighttime social media users said they usually go to school feeling tired.
“In turn, we find a significant association between feeling tired when they go to school and their overall levels of subjective well-being,” Dr. Chris Taylor, a researcher at Cardiff and one of the study’s authors, added in an email to The Huffington Post.
For some teens, this combination could contribute to mental health issues. Heavy social media use and poor sleep have both been found to take a toll on young peoples’ mental health, so the combination could be even more problematic.
So what’s the solution? Pushing back school start times probably isn’t the answer, as the study’s authors argue that more time to sleep in the morning doesn’t compensate for sleep disruptions. Structured morning routines can be helpful for mediating the effects of poor sleep, the researchers explain, so disrupting those routines with later school start times may not be beneficial.
Instead, the study suggests that it may be more effective to discourage teens from using technology at night. One way to do it? Keeping digital devices out of the bedroom so that a good night’s sleep won’t ruined by the lure of Twitter.
Click on the link to read Mom Shaming is a Disease that Has to Stop
Click on the link to read Going Overboard for Your Child’s First Day of School
Click on the link to read How This Mother Celebrated Her Son’s Graduation (Photo)
Click on the link to read Sensational Ad Captures Men Finding Out They’re Going to be Fathers (Video)
Written by Maria Masters courtesy of CNN:
You want your child to finish eating when she’s full, not when she’s finished every morsel in front of her. Research suggests that kids who are told to eat everything on their plates may be more likely to request larger portions of food when they’re away from home. “Pushing kids to eat when they aren’t hungry sets up a bad precedent,” says Lauren Levine, MD, a pediatrician at Columbia Doctors Midtown in New York City. Adults consume almost everything they serve themselves, according to a study by Cornell University experts, but their research also shows that kids only tend to eat about 60% of what they put on their plates—a totally “normal” thing, they say.
Sure, kids might not put up a fuss about breakfast when that meal just so happens to be served during cartoon time. But children who chow down in front of the TV won’t be able to pay attention to the feelings of fullness that should signal the end of the meal, says Dr. Lauren Levine. Instead, “they’ll just eat mindlessly.” One 2009 study found that kids who snacked while watching television may eat more candy and soda, too. Plus, other research has found that the food advertising aimed at children reinforces the message that junk food tastes better—and can be linked to unhealthy diets in young adulthood too.
Fact: Children ages 8 to 18 now spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using media devices, according to a 2010 study by the Kasier Family Foundation. (That’s up from about 6.5 hours in 2000.) And watching TV—whether that’s on a flat screen, computer, or cell phone—takes up a whopping 4.5 hours a day. “You don’t want your children to be sedentary,” says Dr. Alanna Levine, “but watching TV all day also doesn’t increase their creativity, which is important for them.” Sure enough, this 2010 study found that kids who spend more time using media are more likely to get poor grades and are less likely to be content with themselves than those who aren’t as attached to their devices. Consider capping your child’s recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours a day. The AAP discourages any media use for kids under the age of 2 and recommends older children limit their non-education screen time—i.e., entertainment—to 1 to 2 hours daily.
As adults, we often equate exercise with the gym. But kids? They just need to get moving for about an hour a day. So kick a soccer ball in the backyard, take a family walk, or go for a hike one weekend. The key is to make sure they’re enjoying it, says Alanna Levine, MD, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Once they’re done, she says, take a minute and ask them how their bodies feel. (Spoiler alert: good. Thanks, endorphins!) That way, kids will keep connecting that happy rush with physical activity, which reinforces the physical and mental benefits of exercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=21&v=kEr_QYgUnug
Whether its mom shaming or teacher shaming or any other form of condescension, any judgement designed to belittle is less about child welfare and more about bullying.
Click on the link to read Going Overboard for Your Child’s First Day of School
Click on the link to read How This Mother Celebrated Her Son’s Graduation (Photo)
Click on the link to read Sensational Ad Captures Men Finding Out They’re Going to be Fathers (Video)
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
It’s hard enough to get the schoolbag and uniform essentials right. Please try to avoid going overboard. It just makes your child really stressed.
Click on the link to read How This Mother Celebrated Her Son’s Graduation (Photo)
Click on the link to read Sensational Ad Captures Men Finding Out They’re Going to be Fathers (Video)
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
Click on the link to read Father Responds to Principal’s Letter With True Class
Such a beautiful and uplifting message!
Click on the link to read Sensational Ad Captures Men Finding Out They’re Going to be Fathers (Video)
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
Click on the link to read Father Responds to Principal’s Letter With True Class
Click on the link to read We Must Work With the Parents of Our Students (Video)
I don’t endorse the product, but I love the ad!
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
Click on the link to read Father Responds to Principal’s Letter With True Class
Click on the link to read We Must Work With the Parents of Our Students (Video)
Click on the link to read Tips to Get Kids More Organized
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xde2qQ6qO-I
A bit preachy for me but I agree with his point all the same.
Click on the link to read The Apps You May Not Want Your Kids Using
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
Click on the link to read Father Responds to Principal’s Letter With True Class
Click on the link to read We Must Work With the Parents of Our Students (Video)
Parental involvement is crucial when it comes to deciding what apps are appropriate for their kids to use. Below, courtesy of sunshine and hurricanes, are some apps that parents may decide not to allow their children to install:
This is an instant messenger/social networking hybrid.Kids can send basic messages like texting, but also photos and files. Since it is used over the internet and anyone can attempt to connect with your child. This app allows kids to send private messages that can be very difficult for parents to access or which can be easily deleted. Since photos are involved, there is considerable opportunity for children to be exposed to inappropriate images. In addition, this is a commonly used app for sexting.
This app allows kids to send photos that once opened by the recipient disappear after 10 seconds. However, should the recipient grab a screen shot of the picture, it is now a permanent image that could easily be shared with others. Most children won’t think about the possibility of the screen shot and may be tempted to take risks sending things that they think will no longer exist after 10 seconds.
Poof actually no longer exists, but it represents a whole category of apps that are constantly being created and then deleted, just to pop up as something new. These apps provide the ability to hide apps from being displayed on the phone screen. Therefore, parents who think they are being diligent about monitoring what apps their children are using, may not realize some have been hidden from their view.
Whisper’s tag line is “Express Yourself – Share Secrets – Meet New People.” Already this doesn’t sound good for kids, right? Anonymity is the lure of this social meet-up app, where names are never used, but location can be provided within a one mile radius. Again, because kids are online when using it, they are open to anyone who wants to try and connect with them. This is yet another app with picture sharing capabilities as well, making it appealing for both cyber bullying and sexually oriented interaction.
A social networking app set-up in a question answer forum that offers complete anonymity and no monitoring whatsoever by the company. This app has already been involved in numerous serious cyber-bullying incidents both in the U.S. and abroad. There is very little ability to control privacy settings and even if your child blocks someone who is harassing them, the individual can still access their profile and view all interactions your child is having on the app.
Twitter meets texting with complete anonymity thrown in. A child can send an anonymous message of up to 200 characters and then using GPS, the message can be read by the nearest 500 other people using the app. No images with this one, but it still has gained in popularity quickly and has become a powerful tool for bullying and sexual content.
Used to make and share short videos, six seconds in length that loop over and over again, this app is actually owned by Twitter. A messaging function has been added since the app launched and those using the app can search based on location. As one would expect with anything that has video capabilities, explicit material is abundantly available and not hard for children to stumble upon. There has also been a trend of teens sharing videos of fights at school. Although Twitter has made some attempt to clean things up, it still is a questionable app for kids and is best used in the presence of parents.
Here’s another with a great slogan – “The anonymous, simple, fun way to find friends who are down for the night.” Operating via a connection with FB, people can group their friends as just buddies or those that they’d like to get “down” with, for a little, well…you know. Those looking for a little, well…you know, can search their friends and see if they can find a match.
The flame is a good indicator that this app is a little too hot for a young audience. Yet another hook-up facilitator, anyone using the app can upload their photo and then browse other’s photos indicating “interest” with a heart or a “no way” with a big X. The app will then suggest those nearby who have “hearted” you and if you like them back, a connection is made which enables messaging. I’m sure you can come up with how many ways this could go bad on so many levels without me elaborating any further.
Basically chatting with a random stranger, either via standard messaging or with video. For added risk, the app can connect with a Facebook account and then will attempt to connect people using the app to those who have similar “likes”. There is nothing to keep kids from being exposed to inappropriate content and there is ample opportunity for personal information to be shared. When a conversation ends, the chat log can be saved and then a link will be provided that can be shared freely.
Combine the randomness of roulette with spontaneous video chat, meaning you never know who you’re going to be paired with or what they might show you. Google it, and you’ll discover that it’s not something anyone should want to be a part of, let alone a young person.
I’ll admit, this one sounds kind of cool and I could see it being useful in some situations. This app enables you to transform your mobile phone into a walking talkie. However, beyond just being able to say “over an out”, kids can also exchange photos, texts and other personal information. It’s gotten national attention as part of a high profile cyber bullying case. However, if you want to use it, just make sure you’ve got the location services turned off and privacy settings enabled. Plus, be clear who your child is communicating with when using it.
Looking for more technology and parenting information, be sure to sign up for our newsletter below so you won’t mis any of our future posts in this series. Want to see some of our previous posts related to technology?
Simply heartwarming!
Click on the link to read Apparently Reading to Your Kids Give Them an “Unfair Advantage”
Click on the link to read Father Responds to Principal’s Letter With True Class
Click on the link to read We Must Work With the Parents of Our Students (Video)
Click on the link to read Tips to Get Kids More Organized
Topical Teaching 