Keeping You Child Safe Online
- Remember when this was amazing tech?
The internet can be a dangerous and scary place. Even for those of us fluent in “geek”.
When my family first got connected (in the yesteryear of 1998), my mother was a huge ball of nerves. She was convinced I was going to get stalked, kidnapped and a thousand other grizzly fates (and some I honestly still can’t figure out how she came to those conclusions). Although, she’s calmed quite a bit in the years since she’s still a bit anxious when it comes to anything online.
Although, our connection has changed from the beast that was called AOL I’ve noticed a lot of the same fears still in many parents. Surprisingly, it might not be the outside sources that you need to be worried about as much as what your child is showing on their profile (at least according to one study):
More than half of today’s teens make references to sex, alcohol, drugs or violence in their online profiles, according to new research out Monday. In a 2007 study of 500 publicly available MySpace pages created by 18-year-old Americans, researchers found that 54 per cent mentioned or showed pictures of risky or unhealthy behaviour. Sexual content showed up in 24 per cent of the pages, 41 per cent of the pages included drug use, 37 per cent alcohol and 14.4 per cent violence.
I will say the fears are (or at least can be very real) there are things you can do to protect your kids in the vast world of the internet (without being a spy). My daughter is still a bit to young to be worrying about her online activities (15 months old) but the day will come.
There is a solution:
*If your child has a MySpace or any social networking page, ‘make’ them to add you. Also get them to keep their pages privacy set to private. Check it often.
The general rule of thumb I’ve always used what don’t put forth what you wouldn’t want your mother and/ or grandmother seeing (and yes it has stopped me from posting up anything insanely out there many a time).
Another helpful thing is to have the computer set up in a high traffic area (the living room, for instance).
Does anyone else have any helpful tips on keeping you child safe online? If so, feel free to post them.
Jett Travolta Deceased at 16
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
It something no parent should ever have to deal with. The death of a child is easily one of the hardest things anyone could deal with. Condolances to the Travolta family, they are mourning the loss of their child Jett.
There is also a chance of an Autism link:
The New York Post and other media outlets have suggested in past reports that the Travolta’s son has autism, though the family has always maintained that their son’s condition is KS. Autism is also associated with seizures.
This is no doubt either way a horribly sad time for the Travolta family, it seems that the media is already pushing a bit into their lives. There are already photos of the ambulance that had brought the deceased to the hospital shortly before he was pronounced dead.
They are preforming an autopsy to hopefully tell more about this sad ending of Jett’s short life.
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Commandments of Discipline
Thou Shalt Not Wig Out - Losing your cool is something that can happen to any of us. Keep a cool head. Talk softly and you child will soon follow suit.
Though Shalt Apologize if Needed - If you do happen to lose your cool anyway, apologize after you cool down. Explain to your child that mommy (or daddy) got mad but it’s all better now.
Thou Shalt Respect the Law of Ages- Time outs can be a huge help. The general rule of thumb is 1 minute per year of age (1 year= 1 minute 2 years= 2 minutes etc)
Thou Shalt Ask For Help - If you need a break, ask for it. If you need something, from a simple dinner made to an hour of ‘me time’ ask for it.
3 Resolutions For Parents
The holiday season is drawing to an end now. Things are getting a bit quieter and the children are settling in a bit more (well, at least they aren’t bouncing off the walls with the same ferocity they have been). With the new year looming around the corner, and things about to gear back up we might not have the time we wish we had but still find the ways to do what is important.
This is the year for calm, peace of mind, and family time. I know you might be thinking- “What has this lady lost her mind?” I’m just going to say that even when things are crazy there is time for peace of mind and relaxation.
*Breathe. Deep breathing does work, especially as a relaxation technique. Women are indeed more likely than men to have heart problems, one of the reasons is the way we handle stress. Which leads me to:
*Don’t be a martyr. Don’t always put yourself last. I understand how completely difficult that can be, but “me (only!) time” and doing something just for you, (even something as small as a walk around the block) is something that is so calming and you will feel better for it. Trust me- the kids, the dishes, and house- will still be there when you come back.
*Love yourself. I know, how “new agey” can I get? Seriously, make a list of all the good things about yourself. Loving you will help you out in the long run so much it isn’t even funny. Self confidence is an important thing! Which by loving you, will teach your kids to love themselves and boost their confidence.
Melamine Now in Canadian Cocoa Products
Melamine has so far been quiet for the past months and yet it has made a loud re-entry into the fray as Dorsey Marketing Inc., (DMI) has reportedly ordered a recall of the following Gourmet Cocoa products which may have possible traces of melamine:
• G&J Hot Cocoa Stuffer Item 120144 (UPC 061361201444).
• G&J His and Hers Hot Cocoa Set Item 120129 (UPC 489702201296).
• G&J Cocoa item 120126
• G&J French Vanilla Cocoa (UPC 061361201260)
• G&J Double Chocolate Cocoa (UPC 061361201260)
At least this time around, they are not purely directed towards the babies who have suffered a lot during its first discovery. And kudos should be given to the DMI group for taking immediate action for the safety of the paying consumers.
However this is certainly going to hurt their company’s credibility. The only consolation is that at least they had the courage to recall it ahead of time before anything untoward similar to the infant death’s in China, would occur.
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