When I first joined the Wasabi Media Group team, I needed money rather badly to buy stuff, for a decent amount of spending money for a YMCA trip I am doing summer, and other usual teen money needs. Since I have began working a steady job, I have gained plenty of money.  I think jobs are good for teens, but for young teens, finding a job you legally can work at is hard.

In New Hampshire (where I live), the law basically says that if you are under the age of fourteen, you cannot get a job and if you are under the age of sixteen, you need to get a New Hampshire Youth Employment Certificate, within 3 business days of the first day of employment, from the Superintendent of Schools, Guidance Department, or Principal’s Office in the city or town where you attend school. You may be denied if you have bad grades or a record of trouble.  NH law also says 16 or 17 years olds shall be employed by an employer if the employer maintains on file a signed written document from the youth’s parent or legal guardian permitting the youth’s employment.   There are some exceptions to the rule, though.  For example, I work for Wasabi Media Group, but I’m only thirteen.  That is because Wasabi Media Group is a my parents’ business.

Here are some tips on jobs for under working age teens.  If your parents have a business, see if you you can work there. If not, there is the old teen stand-by: babysitting.  Personally,  I babysit and write.  If none of these work, try carving out some type of niche work.  Generally, competing with stores and/or chains of stores is hard, and you are almost guaranteed to lose.  Try something like baking or art.  Also, volunteering will get you known, so when you become of working age, more people will hire you.

So, if you are a money strapped teen, try to get a job!

One constant battle that we face in our house is trying to decide what movies and shows are appropriate for our eight year old. Commercials, print ads, and his friends constantly are bombarding our son with previews of TV shows, DVDs, and movies.

My wife strongly prefers to preview the programs before Max gets to see them. This works well with TV shows. I generally can get a yea or nay on a show before the first commercial break.  DVDs have gotten easier to preview & judge thanks to the wonder that is Netflix.  We’ll get a movie from Netflix and preview a bit of it the night before we let the boys know it’s here.  If it’s a stinker, we send it back, and we’re only out a couple of days worth of movie watching.

Movies are trickier.  There’s only one way to preview a movie that is playing in theaters.  There is no way I’m spending two hours and $8.50 to watch a kids movie without a kid so I can determine whether or not I’m going to have to spend another two hours and $17.00 + snack money to re-watch the kids movie with the kid. That’s just not happening.

Sometimes I ask other parents, but I’ve found that the definition of ‘age appropriate’ can vary drastically from parent to parent.  That has proved relatively ineffective, unless I can find a parent who is on the same page as me AND has seen the particular movie I’m interested in seeing.

There are plenty of websites that will weigh in with their opinion, but you’ve got to get into sync with the mindset of the writer or it is even less effective than the parent-friend referral.  I’ve even found that within one website, different reviewers will have different standards and, therefore, different levels of helpfulness.

My personal favorite is www.pluggedinonline.com.  Part of the Focus on the Family organization, Plugged In tends to provide informative reviews with a minimum of disdainful opining.  For each movie reviewed, the site lists Positive Elements, Violent Content, Language, Alcohol, and Other Negative Elements.

Does anyone out there have any other good sources for checking out a movie before showing it to the kids?

It is natural for young kids to sometimes show strong emotions (like anger) and destructive behavior when things do not go their way. As parents, we need to know how to teach our kids the different ways of dealing with anger. Anger should be released, but it should be in a healthy way. If you can guide your child in the ways of releasing anger the healthy way, your child will develop a calm attitude as he grows up.

Here are some of the things that you can do to help your child deal with anger the healthy way:

• Be a good example to your child. Children are quick at mimicking what they see in their parents; when they see their parents explode when angry, there is a great possibility that it is exactly what they will do when they are angry. If you are the explosive type of person, teach yourself some simple techniques in controlling your anger. (There are hundreds of articles about simple anger management techniques that you can read.) Then teach it to your child. You must explain to your child that anger is natural, and every human being experiences it sometimes. When your child understands the nature of anger, it will be easier for her to manage it.

• Guide your child when he is watching television or playing video games. The media is replete with violence, so it is important to guide your child every time he watches television or plays video games.

• Be firm with your rules and give punishment when necessary, but do not show the ugly face of anger when you are punishing your child for a bad behavior.

• When your child gets angry and shows destructive behavior, do not mirror it. It is a mistake to get angry when your child is angry; you are the parent so you should be in control. If you explode when she explodes, then everything is lost.

For the longest time, I resisted my son’s pleas for a Pokémon trading card game. Ditto for Bakugan, Digimon, and a slew of other nonsense words that he threw at me. I didn’t know very much about it at the time, but the cartoon looked cheesy (it is), the game sounded complicated (it is), and I was pretty sure the whole thing would end up costing me a princely sum of money (it has).

When Max got a $25 Amex gift card for his eighth birthday, I made the mistake of telling him that he could spend it on anything that he wanted. As it turns out, that’s just enough money to buy two Pokémon starter decks. I wasn’t crazy about the idea, but I didn’t want to go back on my word. And so it was that Max entered the Pokémon trading card game frenzy.

The biggest problem is that two starter decks just aren’t enough. He needs a Fire deck, a Steel deck, and booster packs with special chromium card inserts and legendary Pokémon. He’s got a Pokémon Guide Book that he has worn the cover right off. He has studies these things with such alacrity that I have to think that he could be graduating from MIT by now if he put that much effort into his schoolwork. He knows their names, their types, their strengths and weaknesses.

Meanwhile, Max’s little brother is too young to play, and his mom is too smart to get sucked into this debacle. So, you know who he’s going to practice against. And it isn’t enough that I play against him. We have to trade cards with each other, swap energy types, and discuss at length the merits of Water Pokémon vs. Fighting Pokémon. The game is absurdly complex, with Byzantine layers of rules and conditions. Did you know that his Pokémon can simultaneously burn and poison mine?

Having said all that, in the final analysis the game is good for him. He’s learning to think strategically, which will help him throughout his life. And since I’ve started insisting on a chess match between Pokémon games, he’s learning to play a strategy game that will last beyond adolescence. Still, the cartoon I could do without.

It is important to teach your child the value of saving early in his life. If he understands the value of saving, it could make a very big difference in his life, in his future. Here are some ways to teach your child how to save:

You can start with a piggy bank, which to a toddler can fall under the category of toys. You can weave the learning of saving with his play. Give him a real piggy bank or some variation of it, like a large plastic bottle or a box with a slot for the coins to pass through. Make him understand that the purpose of the piggy bank is for storing money. Start to explain that what is important is the act of saving and not the actual coins that accumulate in the piggy bank.

When the child grows older, you can give him his first wallet. Guide him through the transition from collecting coins in his piggy bank to learning to handle paper money and understanding the power of currency: how it can buy things and how one easily can lose all his money if he is not careful with his spending. It is during this stage that you can see if your child is a saver or a spender.

You can then move from the wallet to the savings account. If you have guided your child properly from the beginning, she should be able to save money in her wallet. Being able to keep one’s self from spending what is in one’s wallet is actually a feat for a child, and it must be recognized and rewarded. The idea of having a bank account could builda lot of self-esteem in your child, which she could use in decision making in the future. But, of course, you need to explain things like the minimum amount of money required to open a savings account and how money is safe when it is in the bank.

Summer vacation either has arrived or is right around the corner.  While it is important that children get some sort of exercise daily, it also is important to take precautions when the temperatures are hot.  I was able to speak with Diane King, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics and Certified Athletic Trainer, from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Sports Medicine.

When dealing with summer heat and exercise, it is very important to make sure your child is hydrated.  According to Ms. King, “An important thing to remember is that thirst is not a good indicator of when to drink.  By the time a child notices they are thirsty, they are already in early stages of dehydration.  And at that point, it may take a while to replace these losses.  Children have a considerably lower sweating capacity than adults.  Because of a greater ratio of body surface area to body mass, children absorb heat more quickly when the ambient temperature exceeds skin temperature. So they overheat more quickly especially if they have not been out in the heat much.”

For tips on how much fluid your child needs to stay hydrated, Ms. King referenced the Beverage Institute’s guidelines. The recommended amounts are:

• 12-16 ounces- 2 hours before start
• 8 ounces- 15 minutes before start
• 4-6 ounces every 20 minutes

“Sipping fluids every 15-20 minutes makes it easier on the tummy/gut, too. Gulping a lot of water all at once can slosh around depending on the activity. If they are drinking water from a water fountain, it’s hard to estimate the actual amount although in general, the estimate is 1/2 - 1 ounce per gulp.  So kids will say they had a lot to drink and it could turn out to be very little.”

It is important not only that children stay hydrated but also that they don’t overheat.  If children are involved in outdoor exercise or sports, there are several precautions that can be taken when the temperature rises.  Some of Ms. Kings’ suggestions were:

• Adjust the practice schedule accordingly.
• Schedule training sessions to avoid the hottest part of the day (10am to 5pm).
• Avoid radiant heating from direct sunlight especially in the acclimatization period.

Don’t forget to apply sunblock and keep hydrated, and then let your kids enjoy the outdoors and exercise all summer long!

Learn more about summer fitness, including warm-ups & cool-downs, workout suggestions, hydration tips, and exercise via your smartphone.

Recently, I received my babysitting license from the Red Cross, so I have begun babysitting, and I, like many teens, am so glad I can babysit!

Like many entrepreneurial teens, I have begun babysitting.  First, I started working for family but soon learned that I would make more money with a Red Cross license, so I went to the class.  The class taught us students many things, such as how to properly change a diaper (I already knew that!), how to assess injuries, how to do a lot of first aid, how to solve problems/negotiate with kids, and other general care things.  Also, we received a license from the Red Cross, certifying us as Red Cross approved baby sitters, which many parents will ask for.

Now, I have babysat since then but only for family.  Often, I will babysit one to all of my three sibling or my cousins.  One of the things I learned is to be careful of which age range to work in.  I think that kids from three to eight are easiest.  Although they they require more care, they won’t fight back or argue as much as older kids.  (Although that is not much of a problem for me because I have two sisters that are two years younger than me.)

Here are some ways you can deal with fighting and arguing:

• Consequences:  A classic due to effectiveness.  If they argue or fight, tell them that they won’t get dessert, TV tonight, etc.*
• Phone Call: If you have a phone, whip it out and pretend to call their mom or dad.  Within a few seconds of talking they will stop and plead you not to tell.*
• Take a Hostage: Ok, well don’t really, but take something like a toy and only give it back if they comply to the demand of better behavior.*
• Ignore Them: Plain and simple and very self-explanatory.*

*All tested very successfully for me. Your results many vary.

Now, here are some no-nos:

• Fighting Back Physically: Never, ever do this.  You may never get a job again!
• Offering a Reward for Ending Bad Behavior: The child will connect bad behavior with a reward and repeated the action to receive more rewards.

Babysitting is tough, but teaches teens well and pays well, too!

I remember taking tests in school and how emphatic the teachers were about cheating on tests.  I actually used to cheat just in spite of their warnings…what a rebel.  When it comes to parenting, I still may be a cheater after all.

Recently, my wife had an ultrasound done at her midway point.  Sadly, I couldn’t be there to experience it because I am sweating it out in the desert.  However, she sent me tons of pictures that the technician had taken.  It is so amazing seeing the little toes and fingers.  I am jealous I couldn’t have been there to see the little one wiggle around.

We do not want to find out the gender until the big day mainly because we would be discovering the news separately but also because we are a bit old-fashioned and want to experience the surprise.  Some people label learning the gender as cheating…I disagree, just not for us.

Another form of “cheating” in the baby arena is the 4D pictures you can receive.  These pictures are awesome in that you can see numerous details of your forming child.  They show birth defects like too many fingers or toes.  Thousands of other things can be determined by these images.

After posting one of these pictures on my Facebook account, I had a friend subtly call me a cheater.  She said that these pictures are close resemblances to how the baby will look when born.  I have seen some taken close to the delivery date, and I agree to a point.  Using the gift of hindsight, I could see some features that appeared in the 4D.  However, I never would have pictured the child’s actual appearance by viewing these images.

It is like looking back at people’s childhood photos and picking out features from their youth.  You can see how they got their current look by looking back on these.  If you were to look at this same picture without seeing the adult version, you would never picture the person’s appearance.

Therefore, I believe that I am not cheater.  What do you think?

Expecting a child is a very sobering experience.  It is not as easy as picking out the paint colors for the nursery and what stroller we’ll be pushing.  We are facing huge decisions that will impact the rest of our child’s life, today.

Recently, my wife completed her twentieth week of pregnancy.  The halfway point.  We currently are looking into the vaccine uproar.  Many people are claiming that the rise in autism and other childhood diseases are increasing and have increased greatly since the trend of getting vaccines from birth.

I never gave a second thought to the whole debate until I was prepping for this deployment that I am undergoing.  Yearly, Uncle Sam requires me to get a multitude of vaccines.  Before a deployment, I am required to get vaccines for the possible diseases and enemy threats I may face.  Usually, we receive a handful of vaccinations at the same time.

I am almost always drained the next day.  When I went to Iraq, I got lots of shots including Anthrax and Smallpox.  I had no energy and was in bed for a few days.  It makes me sad to think a baby will go through the same thing.  I am 6 foot 1 and walk around at 190 pounds.  These shots kick my butt.  What about a ten pound child?

Newborn babies get a Hepatitis B shot right out of the womb.  It is the same exact dose that I receive as an adult.  According to the CDC, over ten vaccinations are delivered within the first year of life.  I know some are needed, but I am sure that all of them are not required to have a normal, healthy baby.

This is still one of those controversial topics with many valid arguments.  It is very scary to be forced with such decisions, and many of us just trust what doctors say.  I try to live by the Reagan, “Trust but verify,” thought process.

Currently, I am leaning towards the safe-side but am still very open minded.  Does anybody have some good resources that support either side of this debate?

Some Secretary of State or another once said that it takes a village to raise a child. While I’m not sure I agree with her sentiment in its entirety, I do firmly believe that parenting is not a task to be taken in isolation. We all benefit from a community of others who are going through the same things we are and struggling in the same areas we do. Even better if we can find someone who has struggled and has come through to the other side.

I’m not talking about formal parenting “support groups” where parents get together to whine about how hard they have it and how nobody understands them. I mean informal gathering of parents in similar situations with helpful attitudes and stories to tell. We all need encouragement at some point. Some days you’re the encourager, some days you’re the encouragee. (No, that’s not a real word. I had to type that word three times to get autocorrect to ignore it.)
Online or in-person, scheduled or ad-hoc, find a way to get involved with other parents if you aren’t already doing it. My wife and some of the other moms from our church get together and take the kids to a park every week or so. It gives them a safe environment where the children can roam and the mothers can just talk. Some days, they talk about the kids (alright, they ALWAYS talk about the kids). But sometimes they squeeze in some grown-up talk, too, which is a much needed respite from hour after hour, day after day of talking to the five year old and under crowd.

That is why sites like Your Parenting Info are so important. Log on and leave your comments. Brag, cry, whine (there is a limited tolerance for whining: just don’t make a habit of it), ask, answer – bring whatever you’ve got. We all need to be a part of a community of parents, or we risk getting swallowed up in our own little world and becoming overwhelmed by the enormity of the task of parenting.