I personally think they are a great way to communicate and work on school projects.  Or, say you do drama, you could get a group of kids together and study the script.  As long as you only are friends with people you know, I think it is personally fine to have an Oovoo or Skype account.  As any social networking account is, video chatting is all about being smart. If Kyle friends you on Oovoo and you have no clue who he is, obviously don’t accept it.  And if you are in a group video call with some friends, and someone brings someone else and they start bringing other people, signal to the original few people that you don’t want all of these people (if you don’t want them all on) and create a different call.

I always say, if you feel uncomfortable doing something, don’t do it.  And the same goes for video chatting.  If there is someone on the call making you feel uncomfortable, make sure your friend knows, and then either make that person leave, or leave yourself.  And if your friend gets mad at you for doing that, tell them that you didn’t feel comfortable. If they are a true friend, they should understand.  Ya know, it is all about making smart moves and not doing anything ludicrously stupid things, because if you do, your parents do have the right to take away your video chatting privileges.

Speaking of parents, do not go behind their back and get an account without their permission.  It’s reckless, somewhat unethical, and can get you in lots of trouble.  If your parents don’t want you to have an account, then listen to them.  Don’t go behind their back and make one against their rules; chances are they have a perfectly good reason for not letting you get one and since you went behind their back, when they find out, you will be in loads of trouble.

Privacy is a major concern when using Facebook. Pretty much anyone can find out information about your toddler even though you may have their page in total lock down. It is difficult to keep your toddler’s profile from being viewed by total strangers. The best privacy on the internet is not to post at all. Remember, pictures can say more to other people than parents mean them to say.

Toddlers really don’t understand the concept of social networking. To them, the people around them are their social network. They perceive things with their senses and not words on a screen. While they may admire a picture or two, they aren’t going to be that interested in posting updates or keeping up with other family members.

They also have a knack of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. This means that random clicking can turn off privacy settings, open up unwanted ads, and do other things that you don’t necessarily want done.

Lately, Facebook has been inundated with objects and images that you don’t want your toddler to be exposed to. These types of ads are not easily avoided. They seem to invade at the most inconvenient times.

Toddlers are really too young to grasp all of the intricacies and pitfalls of Facebook. They aren’t yet ready to have friends that they can’t play with.

It just isn’t a good idea to expose your toddler on Facebook. A toddler’s world revolves around things they can see and imagine. Things they can interact with. Facebook just doesn’t provide the stimulation that they need.

No amount of protection can trump constant supervision of your toddler when they are around water. Drowning is a silent and swift killer. You won’t ever hear your toddler drown. They won’t yell or scream. Their splashing around can easily overpowered by another noise  such as the television or  music playing.

With toddlers, it is more about preventing access to pools rather than trying to tell them no. Toddlers are constantly testing their boundaries and they will break them if they aren’t being watched very closely. To prevent accidents, all access to the pool areas should be fenced off with self-closing latches on the door. Self-closing latches are important to prevent someone from forgetting to close the gate. But even more crucial than self-closing latches is ensuring that these latches are out of reach.

Place latches higher on pool gates than you would for regular gates. A waist-high latch is easily reachable for a toddler. Toddlers can reach much higher than many adults think. They can stand on their tiptoes which gives them an extra couple of inches.

For  doors opening into the pool area, consider getting motion sensor alarms. That way if the pool door is left open, an alarm will sound if someone crosses the sensor. If your toddler crosses this invisible beam, it will alert you to the fact that they are headed in that direction. This will allow you to catch them before they hit the water. Place these sensors very low to the door frame to make certain they trip. Also, check out their effectiveness after installation. A left-open pool door can be a disaster without these sensors. As an extra security precaution, you can also place these sensors on the outdoor gates. For pool parties, instruct your guests to step over the invisible sensor line.

While it is important to be aware of where your toddler is at all times, especially when around water, a moment’s distraction can spell disaster. The key is to make sure that your toddler can’t access the pool area without you knowing about it.

The very first thing is to open up the discussion about sextexting. While your tween may roll their eyes and think that this is going to be another lecture, stand firm on having this discussion prior to giving them a cell phone. There are some very important areas that need to be covered and that you need them to think twice about before sending off a questionably explicit message.

Just like the internet, trying to sound sexually cool has unintended consequences. It may lead individuals to believe certain things about your tweens that aren’t true. Such impressions cannot be easily erased by any measure. It is this twisted belief that could lead to trouble for your tween. Stressing that what they text is as important as what they look like is a crucial point to make with your tween.

Another point to make with your tween is that what they text can’t be permanently erased. It will get spread around and there are no secrets among friends. An inadvertent text or a picture meant for only one will get shared. Even if your tween thinks that it won’t, ask these questions. What if that individual gets mad at you for some reason? What do you think that individual will do to get revenge? What if the guy breaks up with you? The answer is to share the picture or the text with others in an act of sweeping revenge. It is very easy for your tween to lose complete control of a situation over one seemingly minor mistake.

Let them know that because you pay the cell phone bills that you will be checking up on their texting and what people are texting to them. It is not an invasion of privacy. It is an act of protection. They are still kids and still need their parents to step in at times. They need you to keep them from making those huge mistakes that could haunt them through their middle school and high school years. Reinforce the consequences of them stepping over the line. Remember, they do make cell phones that don’t have texting ability.

As a parent, you have to be aware of the inherent dangers of sextexting and the fact that your tweens might be engaged in such activity. Check their text messages regularly and be aware of what they are saying to others. This problem is only growing and your tween can very easily get caught up in the madness.

The Home Safety Council, a non-profit national organization dedicated to preventing home injuries, proclaims “children are hurt more from falls in the home than any other kind of home accident.” They also state that “falls cause more than 3 million childhood injuries every year.”

When my oldest was a preschooler, he experienced an especially nasty fall in our garage. I’ll never forget the bulging “goose egg” on his forehead, and the anxious hours I spent watching for signs of a concussion. What happened to him happens to many preschoolers – a fall occurring when walking or running. Other categories of falls in preschoolers can include falls from heights and falls while doing activities like jumping on trampolines or while on bikes.

If you really think about potential fall hazards and preschoolers, I’m sure you will come up with quite a list. Here are just a few places where children fall:
*Down Stairs/Steps
*Out of Beds
*Off Playground Equipment
*Out of Grocery Carts
*Down Bleachers

However, there are fall hazards that many do not think about, including falls from balconies or out of windows. You may or may not remember that in 1991 musician Eric Clapton’s 4-year-old son fell 53 stories out of a window in New York City. In this heartbreaking event, the cleaning person had left the window open to air out a room, and in a split second this lively child was gone.

So what can you do to prevent your preschooler from becoming injured in a fall? Educate yourself and others who care for your child about the places children fall and the things that can make a child fall. Be mindful of fall hazards in your own home, as well as in the places you travel.

The Home Safety Council has a great web page to assist you in your efforts. Check it out at this link. On their site they have tons of valuable information on how to keep your child safe. Here is an example of one of their tips:

“Acrylic glass sheets such as Plexiglas are recommended for use on indoor balconies, lofts and landings. The material does not shatter and is flexible enough so it curves around a banister and can be easily trimmed to any length with scissors. Attach acrylic glass with cable ties and screws.”

Conclusion

Statistics show that children under 5 (and the elderly) are most at risk for fall injuries. This can result in injuries such as broken bones, concussions, puncture wounds, abrasions, and even death. By educating yourself about fall hazards in and around your home, and at the places you frequent with your preschooler, you can make sure your child stays safe and injury-free.

I talked with my friends and quite a few of them had never done it before.  We all went on the rollerblading rink together holding hands so that if one of us fell, we would all fall.  After a couple of laps we hadn’t fallen yet so we started to break apart; once I was on my own I fell on my butt.  Now that I think about it, it was quite hilarious, but when I fell I didn’t think it was.  In fact, I was mortified!  But, I laughed it off and started talking about how klutzy I was.

The next lap around, I fell in the same exact spot and then fell while I was getting up.  Again I laughed it off and started skating again, but inside I felt like I had died.  From then on I did very well.

My mom picked me up from school and I told her my story;  she said that she was very proud of me.  I was confused as to why so I asked her why she was proud of me.  She said that she was proud of me because I got back up and kept trying, and that most girls my age probably wouldn’t have skated ever again after they fell that first time.

Personally, I think that you should never give up after just trying once at something.  I mean, nobody is perfect after trying just once, and it will take a lot of practice to be really good at something.  Nobody is perfect at everything, no matter what they say.  They might be good at one specific thing, but that doesn’t mean that since they are better than you, you should just give up.  There were quite a few people at the rollerblading rink that our school went to that were doing laps around me, but that didn’t mean I should give up.  That means that I should keep trying harder and practicing.  I say never give up on something because you never know when you will get better at it.  Never stop trying and never say that you can’t do something.

You should also be constantly trying new things because you never know when your perspectives will change on certain things.  I think you should always be open to trying new things, but that doesn’t mean that you have to like it.  You can also then say, “I tried blablabla this weekend and it was nothing like I thought it would be.”  And you never know, you might just end up liking that thing that you thought you wouldn’t like.

Tweens are individuals. As such, your child will probably be at a different maturity level than other friends of their age. While your tween may demand a cellphone because all of their friends have one, it doesn’t automatically make them responsible enough to handle one. They are still in the growing/learning stage and being a responsible child isn’t at the top of their list. So, as a parent, you need to look at how well they tackle the tasks they are responsible for. Each tween should be evaluated for their individual personalities and their level of handling responsibility.

Another part of answering the question about if your tween should have a cellphone is their absolute need to have one. They are still at the age where a parent is required to shuffle them around from activity to activity. So, where they are at most of the time isn’t a complete mystery. Consider their schedule and yours to determine the line between whether it is a necessity or something they must have because their friends do.

Most schools don’t allow the use of cellphones during classroom time. If you are picking up and dropping off your tween at school everyday, then perhaps a cellphone is not a necessity. For long school trips or away games, then it might be a necessity to equip your tween with a phone to give them a way to reach you. But again, it does boil down to responsibility. Can your tween handle the rules that schools place on cellphone use?

Of course, as parents we still have to make the ultimate decisions for our tweens. Even though they want a cellphone, it does not necessarily mean they are handling enough responsibility to have one. They are still on the path to figuring out who they are. They will still make many mistakes that they will have to learn from. A cellphone can be a very good teaching tool on responsibility about money, taking care of things, and following the rules.

The core of this question is not about keeping up with their friends or even allowing them to have something just because everyone else does. It is about handling something in a responsible enough manner to keep a privilege that is given to them. It is about understanding and following the rules that have been laid out for them. It is about whether there is a genuine need rather than just being another toy.

Not all tweens are capable of such a responsibility and that is perfectly fine. If they aren’t ready, they aren’t ready. They are still kids despite the tween labeling. As a parent, you can say no and mean it.

The dangers are real. For example, a large dose of prescription painkillers or central nervous system (CNS) depressants can cause breathing problems and even lead to death. Ingesting stimulants can lead to heart failure and even seizures. The negative effects of these drugs only worsen when mixed with alcohol. As you can see, when teens engage in this risky behavior, they are literally risking their lives.

You may be asking yourself, where do teens get these drugs? They get them from friends and relatives. In fact, 70% of people age 12 and older who abuse prescription painkillers say they obtain them from those sources (ONDCP).

So, what can you do? You already educate your child about the dangers of smoking, alcohol, and marijuana, but with this new trend, you need to teach them about the dangers of illegal prescription drug use. Studies have shown that children who may not have thought of trying smoking or drinking may try prescription drugs because they are so readily available. If your son or daughter doesn’t know you disapprove of this practice, he or she might assume that doing it won’t harm them.

The following information can assist you in your effort to prevent this problem in your home.

1.  Learn the names of the most commonly abused prescription drugs.  Some of them are: Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, OxyContin, Percocet, Klonopin, Valium, Xanax, Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine.

2.  Safeguard your own prescription drugs. This is easy, as you can monitor quantities and control access.

3.  Teach your child about the importance of using all prescribed drugs correctly, and of never sharing prescription medications with others.

4.  Properly dispose of unused or outdated medications. Find an RX disposal site near you by calling your local health department. If no drop-off events are scheduled, the health department can give you information on how to dispose of the medication safely.

5.  Be a good role model. Your child is always watching you.

6. Ask family and friends to safeguard their prescription drugs as well.

7.  Watch for signs of drug use in your teen. Some common signs are: constricted pupils, changes in personality, slurred speech, excessive energy, forgetfulness, and flushing. Even being secretive can hint at drug use.

It is never easy to discuss hard issues with a teenager. They many times don’t seem receptive, yet they ARE listening. Time and time again, studies show that teens report that parent disapproval is effective in keeping them away from drugs (ONDCP).

For more information on the abuse of prescription drugs, visit www.TheAntiDrug.com or call 1-800-788-2800 to request free materials.

If this is your baby’s first summer, I know you are already dreaming of visits to the park, the beach, and the zoo. What fun you will have! It is an exciting time, but it is also a time that requires planning and preparation. Keep the following tips in mind.

Shade Whenever Possible

The sun can burn the delicate skin of an infant in a relatively short time. For this reason, it is best to keep a baby younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. So, if you plan a visit to the beach or the pool, make sure there is plenty of shade available, and that your baby wears a hat to protect his or her eyes. Of course some exposure to the sun is healthy, as our bodies use it to manufacture vitamin D, but with newborns extra special care must be taken.

Don’t Let Clouds Fool You

Even if it’s a cloudy day, you still need to take steps to protect your baby’s skin. You may not realize it, but most of the sun’s burning rays still come through clouds. This is especially true on days that many call “hazy.”

Plan on Protection

Purchase sun screen or sun block for your baby. There are products available that are specially formulated for infants. Many dermatologists recommend products with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, as these ingredients sit on top of the skin to form a barrier against the sun. You may also choose a sunscreen formulated to have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30. Ask your doctor which type is right for your baby.

Understand as well that many products will need to be re-applied as the day wears on. Make sure to follow the directions carefully.

(Child sized sunglasses provide protection from the strong rays of the sun. Although not feasible for infants, sunglasses can work for children six months or older. Make sure to purchase glasses with 99% UV protection).

As for my terrible water park experience – I will never again sit by and watch as an infant is exposed to the angry rays of the sun. I don’t care if I’m called a “busybody!” Making sure that an infant does not suffer from a sun burn is more important.

Children love dogs and dogs love children. Long walks, playing “catch,” and cuddling are just a few of the fun activities kids and dogs can share. Yet, with spring comes a hazard that parents of elementary age children may forget – dog bites.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that “among children, the rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for those ages 5 to 9 years, and children are more likely than adults to receive medical attention for dog bites than adults.” Of those children bitten, statistics show that more boys are bitten than girls.

Another startling fact about dog bites is that most occur in the head and neck area which can cause trauma to the child, as well as scarring. Sadly, children have had portions of ears and lips bitten off in an attack.

Why then, does a dog bite? There are many reasons why a dog may bite your child, but most bites occur because a child has not been taught the right way to act around dogs they do not know. Just like humans, not all dogs are open to meeting someone new.

Since the weather is turning warmer, children will again be playing outside – where the chance of meeting a strange dog rises dramatically. Think about dogs in the neighbor’s yard, strays, and dogs being walked by their owners.

The CDC offers the following ways to help prevent your child from being bitten. It is important to teach then reinforce these tips regularly:
• Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
• Do not run from a dog or scream.
• Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
• If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
• Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
• Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
• Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
• Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
• If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

Research also suggests that children are less likely than adults to correctly read a dog’s body language. Make sure that your child understands that dogs have feelings too, and that they should respect a dog that shows signs of anger or distress.

Sample Body Language of an Aggressive Dog
1. “Hackles” behind the neck and close to the tail are raised.
2. Lips are pulled back and teeth are visible.
3. Tail is bushy.
4. Ears may be fully forward or back, flat against the head.

Most dogs make great friends for children – but it is imperative that young children understand that only dogs they know can be trusted. And even then, if a dog has just given birth, if it is eating, or if it is napping, children should not bother the animal.