Public Service Announcement – Kids and Cars and Heat
Here’s a link to a public service announcement produced by KidsandCars.org about how little time it can take for a child to die in an overheated car. It’s hard to watch – which is why it’s so important that you watch it.
Smart Moms “LRN the Lingo” of Their Teens’ Texting
I was having coffee this morning with a mom of young teens. Her sons both have cell phones. She’s a smart mom. She didn’t just hand over the phones. Her sons earned the right to have the phones by having consistently great grades. There are family rules for phone use, too, such as:
Having a cell [...]
How Many Times Can A Grandpa Read Curious George to a Child?
As many times as he can!
The grandson, just over two years old, keeps asking for Curious George, so the grandpa keeps reading it to him. Now, of course, the grandson takes a much more active part in the reading, filling in blanks when there’s a pause, delighting when a page is turned and he sees [...]
CODE ADAM – Help Finding Your Lost Child
I remember as a child getting lost in a clothing store. I was scared; my mother was frantic. When my children were young, my daughter played a trick on me and hid among the clothes. I was frantic; she was playing a game.
Unfortunately, not all stories about children being lost in stores turn out so [...]
Keep on Reading
Fourteen months ago, I posted a blog about reading and its benefits to both the reader and the “listener” along with a photograph of a grandfather reading to his 9-month-old grandson.
The photograph here is of the same grandfather and grandson, now 23 months old, sitting on the same sofa, both still enjoying each other’s company, [...]
Free Pamphlet – How the Law Treats Your Teenager Now That She’s Turned 18
If your teenager is about to become an “adult” — that is, is about to turn 18 years old — he or she needs to know how the laws affect their new adult status. The Virginia State Bar has a free pamphlet with information about the new adult’s rights and responsibilities.
It’s called So You’re 18 [...]
How to Help Your Child Deal With Bullies
A friend recently sent me a short article on bullying. I don’t know about you, but there were several bullies in my school when I was growing up. We all knew who they were, and we knew what would happen if we didn’t do what they wanted — give them our lunch money, let them [...]
Bullying – A Problem At Your Child’s School?
NPR recently did a story on bullying and how Frederick County, Maryland school system has addressed the problem. It has adopted the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, developed by the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life at Clemson University, and made it part of the school culture, rather than just a topic at an occasional assembly. [...]
What If Your Child Gets Lost In A Store?
Stephanie, a young friend of mine, works part time in a large book store. She recently wrote about an incident that happened while she was at work, and I thought parents ought to know about CODE ADAM. Here’s the note she wrote to me:
From working in Barnes and Noble I have learned about Code Adam, [...]
Can Your Child Trust Caller ID? Maybe Not.
One reason to love our smart phones is all the “apps” that are available. Theyhelp you out of traffic, translate a foreign language, and thousands of other useful actions.
However, some apps have devious purposes. Growing numbers of apps provide Caller ID Spoofing. We rely on caller ID and don’t question that the person on the [...]