Make sure an eye exam is on your child’s back-to-school checklist. If vision problems remain untreated, kids who are packed with potential may lag behind in learning and become withdrawn, warns the B.C. Association of Optometrists. That’s why it’s important to include an eye exam on your back-to-school checklist, says B.C. Optometrist Dr. Antoinette Dumalo.
Our children are growing up in a digital world with technology right at their fingertips. They’re spending more and more time on the web — so teaching them to be safe and responsible online is critical. During the summer when there is less structure for our children is a critical time to address online safety. We’ve discovered a list of online terms every parent should know to get your conversations started.
As part of the discussion to educate parents, teachers and children about being responsible and safe online, NBCUniversal’s “The More You Know” Learning Series — in collaboration with NBC News — has unveiled Growing Up Online, a free, interactive eBook on digital literacy and Internet safety. Even the most experienced Internet user might have a few questions about all the technical language used in the online world. What exactly is a cache? What is your digital footprint?
Here’s a list of commonly used terms:
APP or application, is a software program typically used on a smartphone or mobile device. Apps may feel new, but the phrase “software application” has been around for over thirty years.
Instagram a free photo-sharing and social networking site on which people can take pictures and then share them with other members of the Instagram community.
Social Games games played online in which multiple players in different locations can play together or against one another. These players may or may not know one another online.
Social Networking Sites websites, such as Facebook or Twitter, on which people can share information and photos and play games together.
MMORPG a massive, multiplayer, online role-playing game. “World of Warcraft” is one of the most famous examples.
Digital Footprint the record, or footprint of everywhere you’ve gone online. This may include your visits to a web page or chat room, emails and uploaded videos. Some of this material may be publicly available to anyone searching for it and can be used in ways you might not want it to be.
Cache is a way your computer stores information, from either your own hard disk or online, so that it can be accessed more quickly. There is a record of your computer’s cache, and you can delete items from it if they link to objectionable sites. A related term, browser history, refers to a list of all the sites you’ve visited online in a certain time frame. Each browser lists these differently.
The more you know about how the online world works, the easier it will be to talk with your kids and that’s the best way to keep them safe.
(Adapted from the eBook, Growing Up Online by NBC Universal and NBC News).
To download a free copy of Growing Up Online and learn about digital safety and internet security, visit http://www.themoreyouknow.com/ebooks/ and start a conversation with your kids.
Asked by Walmart to create a birthday party for six children with under $100, UrbanMommies hit the aisles and embarked on the Walmart Frugal Heroes Challenge. Scouring the store and channeling our creativity, we decided upon the All-Star Sports Birthday Party. I was shocked when we got to the cash with an entire basket-full of goods. I will admit (sheepishly) that the total came to $101.50, but we’re still proud.
Items:
1. Skipping Rope
2. 6 Red soccer jerseys
3. 1 set of 2 lb weights
4. 1 set of 5 lb weights
5. 4 orange pylons
6. 1 soccer ball
7. 1 basket ball
8. Box of microwave popcorn
9. 8 frozen tenderloin beef skewers for the BBQ
10. 2 boxes brownie mix
11. 1 tin chocolate icing
12. dotted cocktail napkins
13. striped luncheon napkins
14. red paper plates
15. Blue plastic tablecloth
16. 1 Case of Blue Kool-Aid Jammers
Total: $101.50
Surely we can create a party with this! With stations for the leaders to guide the 6 kids in sporty challenges, we jumped rope, did bicep curls, kicked the ball around pylons, did a pushup race and shot hoops. The kids gorged on popcorn and ‘Brownie Cake’ for dessert and beef kebabs and salad (from my garden and not included in prices). The ‘goody bag’ was the red jersey that each child got to take home (and could easily be personalized with masking tape).
Therefore, UrbanMommies, the least ‘frugal’ magazine ever, was able to create a memorable and fun party with minimal cost – oh, and it covers the one-hour of activity quotient that so few of our children are getting.
Must go. We’ve got some drills to recreate!
Disclosure: UrbanMommies was given a $100 gift card for Walmart for the purposes of creating a birthday party. We were not compensated for this article and all ideas and opinion are our own.
My friends were exhausted. And for good reason. They have a 4 year old and a 1 year old, commute to work, and have to walk the dog. But, wait. Haven’t many people gotten through that? Looking at their tired eyes, and seeing them deal with their children, I remembered numerous episodes of Nanny 911. Structure helps everyone. Many a time I saw the nanny implement the ‘families sit down to eat dinner’ rule. ‘Everyone sleeps in their own bed’ soon followed. I always thought this simply provided structure just for the kids, but seeing this struggling family without much structure for children, it all made sense.
The routine provides clear decision making (or limits the need to make decisions) for parents. It eliminates guilt (I decided last year not to give in to tantrums, and this is a tantrum, therefore I shouldn’t feel guilty for not doling out another cookie) and it assists with family unity. Dinner being ready at 6, all sitting around a table facilitates conversation, and also allows duties such as washing up to follow. With bedtime, when parents can never have the same routine twice or depend on sleep for themselves or their children, a cranky family ensues.
Routines give kids a sense of security and help them develop self-discipline. Children also naturally fear the unknown, and structure will allow them to handle change within a context of the ‘known’. These little minds and bodies change daily and the familiar acts as a comfort.
The possibility of handing kids to babysitters and having them be put to sleep without a set routine is stressful and often ruins an evening that you are paying quite a bit for. Leave it to a night when you are exhausted for the toddler to decide not to go to bed, or to get up every 30 minutes. If you don’t have a fairly stricy routine for this, the child gets mixed messages. Parents should be able to parent – to make the decisions and be the ‘alphas’ in their family. Children crave this structure, and look for role models.
We have so much clutter in our brains and structure can eliminate all of those extra decisions. So get out the calendar and a timer and relax!
With the Oscars just around the corner, North Americans are rushing to see the films that critics have been raving about for months. Some families in the Touro University Worldwide (TUW) Marriage & Family Therapy Department reviewed a few of this year’s Oscar Nominees and the family lessons that can be learned from their plots. Have you ever considered using movies to discuss difficult family topics?
1) Dealing with Parenting – “Brave” is the favorite for winning best animated film, but it is also a favorite for understanding the conflicts that arise between parents and children. The strong-willed Merida defies her mother as she hopes to change the future her parents have planned for her. Ultimately, both mother and daughter learn that parenting is about compromise, which is a lesson that both children and adults can take to heart.
2) Dealing with Mental Illness – Mental illness is often a taboo subject; families do not discuss it and prefer avoidance over acceptance. Movies such as “Silver Linings Playbook” have brought the realities of depression and mental illness into the spotlight. Families need to be open about mental illness with their children so that they can understand that it is an illness and it is ok to ask for help. Movies are good starting points for talking about difficult topics, and “Silver Linings Playbook” fits the bill.
3) Learning about Societal Struggles – “Les Misérables” was revolutionary when Victor Hugo first published the acclaimed novel in 1862, and many of the struggles and lessons learned by its characters are still relevant today. Talking to your children about poverty and racism can be difficult topics to introduce, and sometimes looking at how far the world has come is a good starting point. Using historical movies like “Les Misérables” can teach your children lessons such as the importance of service to society, intellectual pursuit, and the giving back to the underserved, all principals that TUW is built upon.
4) Learning about Loss – “Amour” is the favorite for winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, but the topics the film focuses on such as elderly relations and loss are not foreign. Talking about loss is a difficult subject to broach at any age, which is why it is important to watch movies that showcase the pain of loss and show family members how individuals deal with this agony.
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Touro University Worldwide presents an extraordinary opportunity for interested individuals to become actively involved in an expanding and promising area of study. The need for Marriage and Family Therapists is growing as an integral and important part of our nation’s health and mental health care delivery system. So watch the movies, learn the lessons, and then become part of the TUW community that teaches these lessons every day.
Guns aren’t going away. But we can and should make them harder to get. And while we’re at it? We need to give parents more support. The health of our entire society is at risk. So I thought I’d comment on tragedy, guns and mental illness.
What does compassion have to do with having an easier time as a teenager? What can parents do to encourage and teach to our children to be more compassionate when there are so many other distractions and role models distracting them from learning these lessons?
In preparing for Canada Day, we often reminisce about times gone by. But have we perhaps been lazy with our heritage and our own education? Here are the top 100 things all Canadians should know about – either at a cocktail party or in answer to your children’s questions. We’re bracing ourselves for lots of comments about what we may be missing… please add your thoughts below. We sometimes forget that we are our children’s best teachers and role models. So if a few of these things are fuzzy in your mind… you’ve got a fun activity brewing for the long weekend.
It happens a million times a day, it seems: the kids say things that make you feel like cheerfully jumping off a bridge…or, even worse, pushing them off that bridge! Kids seem to innately know how to push your buttons, and they do it with great joy and exceeding frequency. No matter how satisfying it may seem in thought to retort sarcastically or to spontaneously burst into flame from annoyance in a screaming rage, there are better and more constructive ways to deal with it. Here are some tips for dealing with the nasty things kids say…without a temper tantrum on your part.
We asked Moms on our Facebook Fan page and Twitter about the cutest mispronunciations their children have uttered. And we had to share the results. It should brighten your day.
1. ‘gra-noculars’ instead of ‘binoculars’.
2. yew nork!
3. pah-sketti!
4. “Oak” meal. (Oatmeal)
5. Cheh-pet (instead of ketchup).
6. kershamol (commercial)
7. Mr ghetti (spaghetti)
8. minished! instead of finished. i still say it even though he’s outgrown it.
9. i used to say “missmiss” [for christmas] – 35 years later + my dad still teases me about it 😛
10. Guacamonkey!
11. ”Can we go to Ole McDonald’s?”
12. Wook (look)
13. Tim Horton hears a who!
14. Poorhead (instead of forehead)
15. Flus-sh*#. She meant flush it.
16. There are so many funny ones I just can’t remember them all… hambulance = ambulance. My favourite is listening to the wrong/mixed up lyrics in the car. It kills me everytime!
17. Furnace…..actually means Thermos. Mummy can I have soup in my furnace tomorrow?
18. The funniest I’ve heard was from a little one I used to babysit, he used to say he liked to eat crap, instead of crab. Lol.
19. dumb shit = drumstick….we even have it recorded
20. Beegurt (yogurt) I want some beeegurt!
21. Exact-a-dentally for accidentally. He’s 6 and still says it. I know I’ll miss it when it’s gone.
22. I’m not hungry, just drinky!
23. hunormous
24. ‘bafuter’ for computer
25. My son used to call pit bulls “pimples” as in “Look Mommy, there’s a pimple dog!”
Feel free to add your own in the comments section. See? Parenting is SO worth it!!!