Parenting | The Parenting Center

Become Aware of Your Child’s Online Activities

With all of the technology in the world today there are many different social avenues for our children. It can be difficult to monitor everything our children are doing to keep them safe. Do you know what your child is doing when they are online? Do you know the websites he visits? How about the online friends he has? Any idea what social networks your child is visiting or how he is using them while he is online?

It is important that you become aware of your child’s online activities. The dangers to children online are real. Children are exposed to much more at a much younger age than in the past. It is very easy for predators and pedophiles to have access to your child online. Instances of cyberbullying is getting out of control. Through the online world your child may be dealing with harassment or your child might even be the one who is bullying or harassing. The “protection” of the online world seems to bring out the worst in some people.

Completely shutting your child away from the outside world is not the answer to protecting him. As a parent there are things you can do to help reduce the risks. It is your job as a parent to instruct your child. Teach your child about online dangers. Assure your child that you will be keeping track of their online activities. Let your child know that you love them and are just watching out for their safety. Discuss appropriate internet use, expectations, and consequences for improper use or any incident of your child participating in harassment or cyberbullying.

You need to be proactive in monitoring your child’s online behavior. This can be accomplished by frequently checking browsing histories, installing and using parental controls, installing an internet filter and/or a type of parental “spy” program. Your child may see this as an invasion of their privacy; you should see this as good parenting!

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: Child Development, Parent

Internet Filter and Parental Control Options

If you have children you understand the concerns about internet safety. If you allow your children to use the internet you may want to install some type of device on your computer that allows you to monitor what they are doing when they are online. You may also feel it is necessary to add parental controls which allow you block certain content and/or specific websites and/or gives you control to add passwords to your computer for access. If this is something you are considering you may want to look at some of the different software available that can accomplish this.

One of the most well-known products for accomplishing this task is Net Nanny. This is now available for smart phones as well. The Net Nanny is an internet filtering software. It allows a parent to monitor internet activity even from remote locations. It can monitor instant messages and will alert parents of cyberbullying, possible predators, or other inappropriate content. Alerts can also be sent to a parent’s email or cellular phone when a child is attempting to access an inappropriate website. Parents are able to access their children’s social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, etc. to monitor activities.

Another option is K9 Web Protection, which is a free online internet filter and parental control software program which allows you to take control of internet safety for you and your children. This program will protect your children from accessing adult content and participating in risking interactions with others. It protects you from scams and inappropriate temptations. It will protect your computer from spyware and malware. This software is now also available for iPods, iPhone, and the iPad.

Some additional options include CyberPatrol, OnlineFamily.Norton, Safe Eyes, or safefamilies.org. There are many more options available. To determine if this option is best for your family you may want to consider trying one of the free programs first. Although the paid programs may offer additional protection or options that the free ones do not, at least it will give you a general idea of how this kind of software works.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Net Nanny, Parental Control

Help for Single Parents Paying Bills

Being a single parent means you have to cover everything all on your own. You have to be mom, dad, nurturer, and breadwinner for your family. This also means that you’re the only one who can pay the bills every month and keep a roof over your family’s head. There may be times when this may seem almost impossible. The good news is there are things you can do to help be prepared for the bad months when they come up. As a single parent, you need to know you are not alone. There are places you can go to for help. You need to be educated in what your extra resources are and be prepared for rainy days, because they will happen.

We always hear it but we never actually do it. Try to set some extra money aside for a rainy day, because rainy days always come. You never know when there will be extra doctor bills, or you won’t get all the hours you need at work. This can even be in the form of extra food stored under a bed. When there’s case lot sell at the local grocery store, buy an extra case of soup and store it in the top of a closet. Buy clothes for family members at second hand or thrift stores or at season end clearance sales and have them for next year. Be thirty all the time.

When bad times come, get out your list of resources and get some help. Go to family and religious leaders first. Maybe, they can help with your groceries for the month, so you can make your rent payment. Go to government and state assistance programs next. They require paperwork and time to get. You can also use payday loan programs like paydayone.com to get you through.

Filed Under: Parenting

How to Keep Children Safe in Public Places

Have you ever been out in a crowded place, turned your back for just a moment and then realized that you had no idea where your child was? This happens all too often with many parents. Knowing how to keep your kids safe in a public place and teaching them is one of the most important things you will ever do for them. The three steps rule is a great rule to have. This is telling kids that they cannot be more than three steps away from their parents at all times. When going out in public, it is a great idea to dress your kid’s in bright or distinctive clothing. Make sure that your kids know who a safe stranger is in case they get separated from you. For a child that likes to run off, using a harness can give the parent peace of mind when in a crowded setting. Make sure that your kids know your name, phone number, and home address in case of separation. If the child is too young to remember, then write down the information on some paper and place it in their pocket.

Teach your child to always check with you first before going to another area such as a restroom or play area. Make sure that your child knows to call attention to himself in an emergency situation with a yell or a loud word such as “Stop!” Always take your child into the restroom with you or if they are old enough to enter the restroom themselves, then always stay outside the door and check in with them. Never send a child into an area such as an arcade or play area unattended while you shop. Finally, discuss safety issues with your child that are appropriate in a calm manner.

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: Child Development, Parent, Public space

Keeping Children Safe During the Summer

Summertime will arrive again in a few short months. This is why it is important now to become vigilant to keep your child safe and healthy all summer long. The pool is a great place to go in the summer to stay cool and have fun. Make sure that your kids have the proper flotation device such as life vest or arm floats. Protect your child and others from getting sick by not allowing your child to swim when they have diarrhea, do not swallow pool water, and practice good hygiene. If your child needs a potty break then take them immediately to avoid urinating or defecation in the pool. If the child is in diapers, change the diaper in the bathroom and not poolside. Wash the child thoroughly especially after using the bathroom.

Children enjoy playing outside during the warm summer months and can be bitten by all different types of insects such as mosquitoes, chiggers, gnats, flies, etc. Knowing the different types of insect repellents that are available will help in keeping outside play pleasant for your child. Be sure to use only those repellents that are deemed suitable for use on a child, follow manufacturer’s instructions, and always wash it off once indoors. Insect repellents containing DEET are safe for use on children older than two months. The percentage of DEET that is contained in the repellent is key to how long the protection lasts. Most DEET repellents offer protection lasting several hours. Other repellents contain picaridin, oil of lemon and eucalyptus, and soybean oil. These repellents are generally safe for use on children as well. Remember that most repellents do not offer protection against stinging insects such as bees, fire ants, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. To protect against these, make sure the child’s skin is covered, avoid scented soaps and lotions, and avoid areas where nests may be found.

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: DEET, Insect, Insect repellent

Teaching Your Kids How to Be Safe While Using a Cell Phone

: Image by johnmuk via Flickr

When I was younger, there were no cellphones or computers to use. Now with all the new technology available, there is a new set of dangers to be aware of. By establishing clear and concise ground rules to follow, your child can be safe using a cell phone. If you aren’t already familiar and comfortable using a cell phone, take time to familiarize yourself with how your cell phone works then familiarize yourself with your child’s cell phone. It is important that you monitor and restrict your child’s use of their cell phone. Limiting the numbers that can be dialed and disabling texting can be two very effective ways of doing this.

Your child should always be aware of their surroundings. Using a cellphone can distract from this, and create an opening for someone to easily prey upon your child. Choose a phone with parental safety controls. Do not allow a camera on the phone. The cell phone you choose should not have internet access. This would only open up another avenue for your child to become easy prey from a predator. Teach your child to never talk to strangers and to never give out their private information such as name and phone number. Take advantage of cell phone monitoring devices or software that allows you to see all of your child’s cell phone activity in an online report. Make sure that along with your child’s house curfew, that they also have a cell phone usage curfew and understand when it is not appropriate to use the phone. Your child should only be allowed to place or receive phone calls at designated times. Teach your child to be courteous and respectful when using a cell phone in public. A good example of this is turning the ringer off while in a movie theatre. The phone should not be answered during this time.

Filed Under: Kids Should Know..., Parenting Tagged With: Cell Phone, Mobile phone, Telephone number

After School Safety

: Image via Wikipedia

We’ve all seen the after school specials about all the horrible stuff that happens to kids when they’re left alone. They join gangs and get into drugs, they break into houses and steal cars, they have unprotected sex and catch AIDS. All of this happens between the hours of 3 and 6 in the afternoon, and it all could have been avoided if only they weren’t a latchkey kid!

Yeah, uh huh. The problem with those kinds of shows is they focus on the unlikely dangers of leaving your teenager home alone and completely ignore the very probable dangers of putting your school age child in the care of an incompetent daycare provider.

When you have to put your child in an after school facility, do some research on it first. Drop by in the middle of the day and observe how the teachers interact with the children. Do an online search to see if you can find any problems. Ask your kid if they have any friends who attend that program and find out what they think about it. If everything checks out so far, go ahead and enroll your child.

After a few days find out how your kid feels about the program. When you go to pick them up, are they playing with the other kids or are they in a corner by themselves? Talk to the teachers to find out what your child’s typical behavior is.

Listen to them when they start to complain. Are they just bored, or is someone beginning to pick on them? If you child consistently complains about one kid or a group of kids, get as much information as you can before talking to the teacher. Ask them to monitor the children’s interactions. Be prepared to pull your child from the program if the situation doesn’t improve or if you feel not enough is being done to protect your child.

Filed Under: Child Development, Education, Parenting, Resources Tagged With: Child Development, Day care, Teacher