By Eric Naftulin


There's nothing better than a day at the beach. The sun, the surf...what could be more fun? However, no environment is risk free. The ocean is powerful and unpredictable, and without the proper safety precautions our local beaches can be dangerous. All of us at Aloha Beach Camp Summer Day Camp want you and your family to enjoy the beach this summer, but always with the utmost safety and caution. Our camp counselors specialize in facilitating safe summer beach camp experiences for kids and teens throughout the Los Angeles area. If you are a parent, please review this info with your kids before you visit the beach this summer.

1. Learn to Swim

The ocean is powerful and can be difficult to navigate. Do not enter the ocean unless you know how to swim. Similarly, never rely on flotation devices such as rafts or boogie boards in place of actual swimming ability. If you fall off the flotation device, but do not know how to swim, you could panic and have difficulty retrieving your flotation device. Drownings can happen this way.

2. Swim Near a Lifeguard

The numbers don't lie. According to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), the odds of drowning at a public beach are nearly five times as great without lifeguard supervision. The risk of drowning at a lifeguard-protected beach is nearly nonexistent - 18,000,000 to 1 - with lifeguard protection. Always swim near an open lifeguard tower. No lifeguard? No swimming!

3. Protect Your Head and Neck

Never dive into the ocean headfirst - it's a leading cause of head and neck injuries. Always enter the ocean feet first, and when you are boogie/body boarding, keep your hands out in front to protect your head and neck.

4. Never Swim Alone

Safety in numbers? You bet! Always swim with a buddy and never swim alone, because many drownings involve single swimmers. If you ever get lost or separated from your buddy, tell the lifeguard immediately.

5. Obey All Posted Warning Signs and Flags

Signs and flags alert you to ocean safety conditions. For clarification about what they mean, ask a lifeguard.

6. Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean

Even the smallest wave can knock you over and cause injury, especially if you are caught by surprise. Always face forward and never turn your back on the ocean.

7. Learn About Rip Currents and How to Get Out of Them

Ever notice that "muddy" ocean water appearance flowing away from the shore? Chances are, that's a rip current. Most lifeguard rescues are due to people getting caught in rip currents. Even the strongest swimmers get caught in them. They are dangerous because they pull you away from the beach into deeper water. To get out of a rip current, do not fight the current by trying to swim to shore. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Then you can swim safely back to the beach.

8. Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol and drugs can impair your judgment. Under their influence you might take unnecessary risks you otherwise would not. Alcohol, which can lower your body temperature and weaken your swimming ability, plays a significant role in many drownings.

9. Beware of Trash and Broken Glass

Your bare feet are perfect targets for broken glass and other trash all over the beach. Walk gingerly and beware of these and other hazards. It is best to keep your shoes on while walking between your car and the area of the beach you set up.

10. Don't Forget the Sunscreen!

Sunscreen protects you and your family from harmful UVA and UVB rays that can lead to sunburn and skin cancer. It should be applied several times during your day at the beach, especially after spending time in the water.

Enjoy the beach and have fun!

By Jan Gamm


Here is the most aggravating article head teachers and parents are likely to read for a very long time.

Here is a suggested list of things kids can do to enhance an ugly school uniform, once safely out of the school gates and away from the beady eyes scrutinizing for uniform infractions.

1. Roll over the waistline of your school skirt to hike them a good four inches above regulation level. A hot tip for pleats is that if you safety pin the pleats first they do not warp when you roll them.

2. School caps for boys are the geekiest invention in the history of the world. However if you turn the peak skyward you can have the advantage of looking not only geeky, but colourful too.

3. Flat brogues for girls make even the nicest legs look dumpy. However you can manufacture a passable heel lift by adding three or more heel supports inside the shoe. This makes your calves tighten as you walk and is a marked improvement over the Farmer Jones motif.

4. Change your tights in the girl's toilets before leaving for home, for a finer denier. The thick ones make your legs look like planks.

5. School shirts should always be clean, but you can make your arms look slimmer by rolling up even the short sleeves in a cuff. Even better with a summer tan. Even better with a temporary tattoo.

6. Sneak your mother's sewing machine and sew darts into the back of your school blouse. Boys' shirts also benefit from this little trick, especially if the boys in question happen to be fit.

7. Knot your school sweater around your neck rather than wearing it in the conventional way. Not only does it look stylish, it hides the rest of the geek outfit by dangling down the front or back. Turn up the back of the school shirt for extra effect.

8. There are some things even a school uniform cannot camouflage, such as nice clean, shiny hair, clean skin, a great figure and so on. Also, you can make even the worst possible uniform look sexy if you learn to walk properly. Check out the many websites which offer advice. However, practice at home in front of the mirror before making an idiot of yourself at school, because some of these walking postures can have the opposite effect and make you look even more ridiculous than the uniform. Girls can wear their hair up which makes them look taller. Boys can try the heel lift trick if there are no sports classes to expose the artifice.

9. Apply some make up before leaving for school if you can get away with it but don't overdo. Thickly applied makeup with a school uniform looks cheap and this is not the impression anyone would wish to convey. Vaseline makes very good clear mascara and you do not have to wash it off. Colourless mascaras are good too but more expensive. Very few teachers or parents object to a touch of light blusher, as long as it is skilfully applied. Practise first.

10. Should you spot a figure of authority coming toward you, try to find somewhere to sit down before you are spotted. A seated figure is harder to check out for hemlines.

By Rosalie Lynch


You would not be surprised to learn that when kids lie it is a natural brain activity. In the movie South Pacific one of my favorite songs is You Have to Be Taught. It is a common thing for kids to lie and we should not be alarmed.

Kids tell lies for the same reasons adults do:
1) To escape punishment
2) To make a good impression
3) To spare someones feelings

Usually parents, teachers and the whole community raises to the opportunity to teach kids everything they need to know while growing up. Unfortunately, this is a behavior that has to be UN-TAUGHT. Instead of teaching, we are trying to undo a behavior that just comes naturally. It is truly amazing to me that I truly understand the 3 reasons kids give for telling a lit.

A "Tween", ages 8-12, left a comment on my blog and I want to tell you what she said: "Everyone will eventually lie in their life! I have lied a few times and it leads to more and more lies sometimes. I wish that we didn't have to lie for impressions, to escape punishment and to spare someones feelings. I am strangely good at knowing when someone is lying to me. I hate when I am being lied to because it hurts. I want respect like everyone wants. We need to end the lying. I know that when you lie for punishment, it is because you don't want to be grounded or something. But if you tell the truth most of the time then the punishment will be a lot easier than when you tell a lie and then your parents or guardian finds out you lied to them".

An article that I read was very strict that parents need to explain to their kids the difference between a lie and a fib. They encouraged parents to tell the kids that everyone has to fib once in a while and that is OK. I can only imagine how confusing this must be to kids. But even if you would try to explain to your kids the difference between a lie and a fib; it would be very important NOT to say to your kid "Don't you lie to me". The kid may be thinking he/she is telling a fib instead of lie and they will throw it right back to your face that they are telling a fib, not a lie. Well as always, let's just keep on doing the best we can in raising our kids without intentionally confusing me.

By Rosalie Lynch


A three year boy was sitting in his car seat of his parents' car. They had stopped by McDonald's to eat in the car as they journeyed their way home from a weekend trip. The boy decided it would be a lot of fun rubbing his French Fries all over the car window to see the many designs he could create with the fry. His dad stopped to get gasoline and discovered what his son had done to the car window. The dad opened the back seat door, scolded the kid and took the fries away from him. The boy sitting next to his grandma said, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them". His mom was in the front seat and she heard her son. His grandma looked at his mom who was smiling at what came out of her son's mouth and his brain.

Kids normally do not demonstrate unacceptable behavior until they are about two or three years old. Why? Because parents/grandparents up that point are well known for saying "Isn't that cute?" until it becomes un-cute.

As parents we need to remember that the first two years of a kid's life we have clapped when they sit up for the first time; we praise when they start to crawl and walk; we hug them when they start growing their teeth; we give them candy if they potty in the potty chair; we tell the whole family and the neighborhood when they speak their first word and the kid is thinking "what a good kid I am". Then our kids hit the 2-3 year mark and they start hearing the word "NO"; we are always correcting their behavior or words; we start yelling at them; putting them in time-out; some parents spank and the kid starts thinking, like the 3 year old, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them." Some key elements are apparent with this true story:

* Parents need to evaluate what their kids are doing before reacting. This is to give an opportunity for the parents to determine if it a kid's "creative moment" or intentional unacceptable behavior.
* Start at an early age to teach your kid when they choose to do something there are circumstances at the end. Some good circumstances and some bad circumstances. Such as: when the family gets home, the dad and son gets busy and washes the car window clean again with the dad explaining why he can not rub food on the car windows.
* Parents cannot give a three year old permission to be on their own while eating any kid of food in the car unsupevised. And NEVER depend upon grandparents correcting their precious grandchildren - it is just not in the heart.
* Try to make sure a kid doesn't "always feel like they are getting in trouble with their parents". Balance it all out - some compliments along with some discipline and of course, not at the same time. Before you kiss your kid goodnight, pay them a compliment.

By Rosalie Lynch


1) In teaching 2-3-4 year old kids, parents are very discipline in teaching their toddlers to say "thank you" and "please". It is an important lesson to be taught and an important lesson to be learned. However, that all seems to drop somewhere in grade school. Parents are saying "do it because I am your parent and I say so" - not many say "will you please do this for me?" The "thank you" seems to disappear as well. Members of a family think things should be done for them without be very nice to each other.

So...parents...throw your kids a curve by saying "thank you" and "please" when they deserve it...it may confuse them and wouldn't that be fun? Being nice to each other in a family is just another way of showing respect.

2) Most kids love to talk and they love to have someone listen to them. As you sit around the dinner table in the evening, ask your kid "what happened to you today" and "what was the most fun you had today?" It is important to keep it light. Never ask your kid "how was your day today?" They will always say "fine"...particularly Tweens (ages 8-12). If you can tell your kid is having a bad day, then it would be inappropriate to ask "what happened to you today" because they will not want to talk about it. They want to forget about it. Try your best NOT to "dish" out punishment at the dinner table. Any punishment connected with food and dining together may bring negative responses in the future for your kids.

The family dining table experiences should be fun, warm and loving. By the way, kids do not necessarily want to hear your comments back to them on their experiences; they just want you to listen. It is a sign of respect.

3) When you have to discipline your kid they want to know and understand what they are doing wrong that caused them to be punished. And as a parent, I am sure you think your kid understands what they did wrong and you don't need to explain it to them...wrong! Most kids have short-term memory and most of the times do not even remember what they did to get your negative reaction because at that point it is usually all emotional. A yelling match and a spanking on the bottom without a "lesson to be learned" is nothing more than abuse. The kids think it is the parent's responsibility to explain to the kid why they are being disciplined. I'm not stupid I am sure the kids will argue that your explanation is stupid and they should not have been punished. However, if you ask the kids (when they are calm and detached from punishment) they will also tell you they want to know why their parents react the way they did by punishing them. Kids said they don't mind being disciplined as long as they know the "why". It just shows respect.

4) We talk to our friends and relatives about our kids. Show your kids respect by NOT talking about them when they can hear you talking about them; this incudes conversations over the telephone. Kids have big ears when they want to have big ears. It feels to a kid like it feels to an adult: when we hear other people talking behind our backs about us, it does not feel good.

It is like my grandson said to me once: "if my parents tell you anything I do wrong - just throw up your hands cover your ears and say 'I don't want to hear about it'". We need to talk to other adults about our kids to our family and friends because it helps. However, make sure your kids are out of "ear-shot". Show a little respect.

By Rosalie Lynch


"In spite of six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage. - Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

You may not know that if your kid's age range is from 8-12 they are called "Tweens". It is the in-between age of leaving elementary school and before they enter high school. At this age kids have already figured out who their parents are and are depending less and less on them to direct their everyday lives.

The first nine years of a kid's life it is effective for parents to yell, punish, spank, time-out and pinch the kids when they have performed unacceptable behaviors to get them to change. Those day are behind us and parents must develop new avenues to change behaviors of their "Tween" kids. Parents need to education themselves for every year their kid is developing. There are numerous books written on every year of development. All of us brought books on raising babies, raising toddlers and then start throwing away books and valuable resources for the rest of the years in raising our kids.

It is important for parents to realize the discipline we use on one of our kids will not work on each one of our kids. The only way to pull off being a successful parent is to get to know each one of your kids individually and treat/discipline them accordingly.

Being an only kid in the family has its pro's and con's. For those parents with an only child, it is even more important that you read-up on their outlook on life. An only child looks at issues much differently than if they had siblings in their life. Unless you grew up as an "only child" there is no possible way you can understand your kid without reading and having clear communication with your kid. An only child is less likely to share his inner thoughts with you or anyone. When an only child is growing up, they do not have siblings to argue with, sharing toys with siblings, sharing mom and dad with siblings, etc. Which may mean you do not have to discipline this particularly child as often. However, they do have to be taught to change unacceptable behaviors into acceptable behaviors.

Come on parents - read up and education yourselves on your kids and how to facilitate them changing their behaviors when necessary.

By Anne Clarke


Almost always, no one specific person is to blame when a child suffers anorexia, and neither are the parents as a couple or as a team. Parenting often has nothing to do with it. The implication that up-bringing is most often the cause of (or that at least it acts as a catalyst for) anorexia in kids has been the cause of additional suffering for parents with anorexic children for years. However, they suffer unduly. The reality is that (in most cases) this is an incredibly unfortunate misunderstanding. The most predominant component of the development of anorexia in families (and especially in children) is genetic. This article will provide some examples of different cases throughout the past several years that resulted from this type of genetic disposition and the battle against the severe condition we call anorexia.

Now, it is true that loss of appetite is symptomatic of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other conditions. Loss of appetite, nonetheless, can present with no outside cause, but from an underlying genetic pre-existing condition. If there is a history of anorexia in your family, you will not absolutely, without a doubt, develop anorexia as well. The most horrible part for parents with anorexic children was the combination of guilt, as well as watching their child suffer. Now at least the parents can rest easy that the guilt is not theirs, that anorexia is not the result of bad parenting and making the wrong choices. There is no single definitive cause for anorexia, one can only evaluate and speculate. Nonetheless, it is not that much easier to suffer through the experience. After all, the child is still battling anorexia, and the stakes are high.

When a child becomes ill it is horrid enough, you can be sure (if you have never had the experience) that the parent’s worst nightmare would be to go through it all over again. A child with a life-threatening illness is one of the most devastating things to witness, especially a son or daughter. So when the parents of a girl named Erin from Maryland experienced her battle with anorexia they were desperately saddened by the surprise – she had just become healthy again. They discovered that after almost miraculously surviving leukemia at the age of 10, had to be re-admitted to the hospital for anorexia. The girl told her mother that she was hearing voices (clearly a neurological problem) that she heard angry voices. These voices warned her not to eat anything.

Nonetheless, this is an example with a happy ending. Her success did not end with the fight she won over the life-threatening leukemia she suffered early in her life. The latest medical notes on this girl indicate that she has successfully adjusted her eating habits and is maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. It is possible that she is under psychological treatment, and taking medications as well to help her overcome her neurological symptoms. But it is not indicated that she had to undergo any kind of surgery, her disease is controlled by taking action to combat and overcome her condition. One might say the little girl won the lottery twice. However, (in accordance with a plethora of medical studies) I believe that her strength of character and her will to live played important roles in her return to health. These are two of the variables undeniably essential to an anorexic’s successful recovery.

Many high school girls essentially believe in the expression that “there is no such thing as being too rich or too thin.” Therefore, unaware of the significant dangers, they will destroy their bodies and even their brains, perhaps permanently, in order to loose weight. However, people with anorexia nervosa are virtually always convinced that they are too fat or (for whatever reason) can not eat. Even when the goal is to improve his or her appearance, a high school student who does not eat will look gaunt, ill, skeletal, and they will be loosing their cognitive function.

This means that in addition to all of the changes a teenager’s body (or for that matter, a child’s body goes through as it grows, they will suffer the effects of their body responding to malnutrition. This can get in the way of proper function, or, normal growth and (much of the time) will have devastating effects. In junior high and high school aged students, this also makes anorexia nervosa very difficult to identify. Most parents will deny their children’s troubles until the very last minute. This is not due to negligence, but to the biological intuition to believe (or, rather, to convince yourself) that your child (and / or children) are ok.

Most parents with anorexic teens just see the trauma of adolescence, the bad experience virtually everyone has to go through in life – they can’t imagine that the problem is deeper than that. This is because, as any parent would, they desperately do not want their child to be suffering more than that. Sometimes, the realization that the problem is there is quite a rude, and often quite a late, awakening to a reality they, nor their child are prepared to face.

The fact of the matter is that denial is an automatic human response to potentially dangerous circumstances, especially life-threatening and definitively terminal illnesses. If someone is afraid of a serious problem, they can be equally afraid to confirm it. But anyone with this illness, or who recognizes this illness in someone else, should know that the longer you deny that you have anorexia – the more harmful it will be. The longer you suffer from this illness the more it destroys your ability to grow, develop, or function without the proper nourishment your body requires.

There are ways to prevent your self from responding to biological impulses of an underlying condition, whether in your family or in your past, but not every story has a happy ending. There are many examples of dangerous and unpreventable cases, especially when the condition increases rapidly and the individual can not compromise or adjust to eating right. This is the most important part of this article: anorexia is not just a popular Hollywood fad that happens to be dangerous. People MUST realize this truth.

I want to brace you for the story of a ten year old girl named Katherine, who died quickly as a result of this disease. Katherine had always been a slender girl. Therefore, it was quite noticeable when she began to decline. Her mother thought, initially, that she was probably just fighting a virus or cold. But it was soon as obvious as it could possibly be – she became skeletal in appearance, her eyes looked hollow because the bones in her face were so apparent. She now had virtually 0% body fat. Her parents were terrified, they tried everything to get their daughter to eat when her weight slipped from 48 lbs to 45 lbs . . . a serious difference considering her weight. Little Katherine continued to decline and put her self on an extreme starvation diet.

There are a multitude of experts to consult and things to try which can potentially bring a child out of this dangerous illness and teach them to eat properly and avoid impulses to starve him or her self. Katherine’s parents exhausted every possibility. The diet was brutal for her frail body, already tortured by this illness. There was no guidance counselor, psychologist, private therapist, pediatrician, eating program, or meal program could convince her to eat. Even bribery was pushed on her. No promise would get her to change her mind. In all likelihood, the poor girl was probably irreversibly mentally impaired. Katherine’s young brain just would not hear any of the voices trying to tell her how wrong what it was to starve herself. Yet Katherine heard nothing but the impulses that told her (for whatever reason) that she should not, could not, would not ignore. They likely manifested themselves in real voices, audible only to this ten year old girl, which could not be quieted. Hearing voices is a common symptom of psychosis related to lack of certain nutrients. Katherine was depriving herself of all nutrients as her body struggled to grow like a normal ten year old and her immune defenses were weak. She simply shut down when mealtimes came or anyone tried to get her to eat. She became so weak that she could barely move. She was rushed to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital, but once she was released she deprived herself of food in exactly the same manner as she had done before. There was still nothing her parents could do.

There are expensive and extremely intense programs for girls such as Katherine in order to save their lives. Constant clinical treatment is required. Unfortunately, there are extremely limited numbers of residential facilities for treating such conditions across the country and around the world. Anorexia is a horror. Many, many children like Katherine pass away while those who care for them stand around their little death beds: desperate and helpless. ‘I never realized someone could get anorexia so young’ many parents have said – traumatized, believing that they should have noticed sooner or put an end to it. In reality, parents often do not have the ability to stop the suffering of an anorexic child – the disease is too powerful.

However, some child anorexics are luckier. These are children whose families have been able to afford and send away their children to the kinds of facilities mentioned. Nonetheless, because of the lack of numbers of these programs there are waiting lists that can be deadly – even for people who can afford treatment for their children. There are many families who have suffered the death of a child by anorexia whose lives may not have been so traumatically changed if they had only had better medical insurance at the time.

Anorexia comes from a Greek word, essentially meaning “the loss of appetite” but it is a virtually always mental condition, convincing the sufferer that eating is wrong, or rationalizes, for example: five bites of cereal the equivalent of an entire meal. The lack of nutrition in children is even more dangerous than when adults develop anorexia and starve themselves. But obviously, there is no good time to develop anorexia nervosa. This condition is now more and more commonly seen in children, who are definitely worse off than adult sufferers and who are as young as eight or nine years old. This is a frightening and often progressive psychological condition that takes a lot of effort to control and is (unfortunately) sometimes impossible to pull a child away from. The power of the mind can be a dangerous enemy.

By Gail Leino


The American Idol craze has taken America by storm. Everywhere you look children, and in particular, young adults are talking about their favorite contestant, the clothes they wore and the songs they sang. It is this burst of interest that makes an American Idol party the perfect theme for the older child-young adult crowd. This is an age group that can realistically dream of actually auditioning to participate in the program and see themselves as the next American Idol!

Ideas for an American Idol party include sending out invitations that are worded and designed to be a call for auditions for [insert birthday child’s name here]’s next season. Have the guests R.S.V.P. in order to allow you to get information about the possible song choices they will either sing or lip sync to at the audition. Prepare some cutouts of your Simon, Paula, and Randy (blow up pictures of their faces and glue on to cardboard to cut them out) and put them in chairs to “judge the performances.” In front of each of the cutouts put a bowl with some random comments that the judges have made in the past on pieces of paper. After the “audition,” have the guests take turns picking the comments out of the bowls and reading them out loud. Take care to only select positive things – even from Simon. This exercise is about having fun, not about tearing apart anyone’s self esteem, but using real comments allows the children to try to mimic the voice and demeanor of the judges as well – making it even more fun. If your guest list for the party is all girls, consider having a make-up/hairstylist competition before the actual “audition” to allow them to get glamorized for their performance.

Anyone who has watched American Idol knows that the show is absolutely crammed full of advertisements. One fun game to try would be to match the jingle to the product. Guests draw a product name out of a fish bowl and have to try and get the other guests to guess the product by either singing the jingle, or acting out a clue so the other party guests can figure out what the product it is. Any words are allowed as long as they don’t include the product name. Divide the guests into teams to make it easier.

To ensure that your American Idol party is complete, supplement the activities with decorations and tableware that have the American Idol banners or lots of music related items. Small inflatable microphones would make perfect favors, perhaps attached to a picture of the guests’ “audition” of the day.

By Natalie Aranda


Christmas brings happiness and joy to every family. For moms and dads, it's the Christmas trees that call their children back to home. For kids, it's the Christmas gifts from Santa Clause, or from their parents. Christmas is a time of celebration, sharing and giving. We put our thoughts into each special Christmas gift. A Christmas gift is worth a thousand words. Any gifts your kids want is the most special gifts for him or her. Candies, games and toys are Christmas gifts that kids always like.

Christmas Gifts do not have to be expensive, in fact, this is the best time to use your own talents cooking and baking ahead on time from the typical shaped-ginger cookies to chocolate candy in as many ways as your imagination dictates. Candy bar presents are even easier to prepare with anticipation, either alone or as part of other seasonal recipes.
Christmas Gift Ideas based on chocolate candy may include Christmas Gift Baskets, which are typically available in varied styles and range. These baskets can be filled with a candy bar, cookies, boxed chocolates, a candy cane and other goodies to make your Christmas gifts a real delight for the eyes and of course, the taste. From a simple candy cane, you can get countless Christmas Gifts, including ornaments, twists, and more. An easy to make gift is made by putting a candy cane in a bag and crush it with a rolling pin.

Computer games are loved by both boys and girls. When it comes to choose computer games for your kids, pick the ones that have both educational values and fun experience. New computer games are released every day. Some games remain in the player's mind for their complexity, challenge and fun experience, while others attending a temporary demand before falling into limbo of forgetfulness. Regardless the types of the games - action games, board games, puzzles or riddles, there’re common ingredients that make a great computer games. Riddles are both educational and entertaining. Riddles are good exercises for expand the brainpower of your children.

Gifts are unique because they match what your kids love. A GI Joe action figure, or even better a set of GI Joe collectibles are perfect gifts for boys who dream to be solders. A vacation to Jamaica is more valuable than the dollar you spend for your grownup sons and daughters who will soon be entering workplace. A ticket to a teen fashion show will be a surprise for a girl who is determined to become a fashion designer.

By Eriani Doyel


Chat rooms are very popular with kids and teens right now. Sites like myspace.com and others can be a great way for kids to get to know other kids and teens who share the same interests as them. But, just as with nearly every other good thing, chat rooms have a dangerous side as well. Online predators, harassment, inappropriate language and other concerns can all be found in chat rooms that cater to kids and teens. So, before your children get online, you need to make sure that they understand all of the rules on the information highway.

Suggestions for Parents:

1. One of the best things that you can do to monitor your child’s use of chat rooms is to have your computer in a public place. This will not only give you an easy way to check what they are doing, but you can limit their time online as well.

2. Since you cannot be watching your children constantly while they are online using chat rooms, you can purchase a software program that will monitor their use. Some programs can record “conversations,” limit your child’s time online, and even prevent your child from sharing personal information.

3. Have a discussion with your child to let them know the rules and then post the rules for using chat rooms and the internet. Make sure they understand and agree to all of the rules.

4. Get your child’s login name and password for any chat rooms that they visit.

Rules for kids:

1. Never tell anyone what you look like, where you live, what your phone number is, or give out your full name.

2. Only use rooms that have a moderator.

3. If you see any language, pictures, etc. that are inappropriate or mean, talk to your parents or contact the moderator immediately.

4. Don’t agree to meet anyone you meet online without permission from your parents.

5. Don’t send your picture or anything else to anyone you meet online unless your parents agree.

6. Never give out your password or login information to anyone except your parents.

7. Ask permission before you have a “private chat” or IM.

By Audrey Okaneko


As adults, when we think of scrapbooks, we immediately think of photographs. When we look online, we find albums filled with photographs. Of course many of the layouts we see are filled with embellishment but the central focus is the photographs.

Kids and teens also enjoy scrapbooking. Scrapbooks do not have to be photographs. Here are several ideas for both kids and teens:

• Lyrics to songs
• Photos from magazines
• Postcards
• Greeting cards
• Collector cards
• Classmate photos from school
• School reports
• Photos off the web of a favorite television star or musician
• CD covers

Kids and teens enjoy collecting all types of things that can be put into scrapbooks. Older kids of course can use all of your scrapbooking supplies. You might be amazed at the creativity teens show through scrapbooking.

Young children often do better with very small scrapbooks, and your scrap paper. They can glue it, cut it and add it to their treasures.

For the older kids, you may want to consider copying whatever they wish to scrapbook onto acid free and lignin free paper so that it does not turn yellow and crack.

Kids and teens both love stickers. We have always watched for sales on stickers. Over the years we have bought more than our fair share of stickers. For very young children, I don’t think it’s necessary to worry about the stickers being acid free. I have from time to time found stickers that come 1000 to a box. I’ve bought those and had the younger kids use them in their scrapbooks.

One of my daughters actually created a wonderful album of all of her stickers. It came out beautiful. The pages were nothing but stickers.

Another idea for kids making scrapbooks is to use homemade albums versus the store bought albums. Start with a piece of colored cardstock for the cover. Punch three holes in the side of the cardstock and then add pages. You can either use white cardstock as your base, or full sheets of scrapbook paper. Punch holes in each page. Use ribbon through the holes to tie it all together. Not only do the kids love these scrapbooks but they can make wonderful handmade gifts to give to others.

It really is possible to scrapbook at almost any age, and with almost anything as your focal point. Next time the kids say “I’m bored” suggest they create a scrapbook.

By Natalie Aranda


Most children have a natural passion for sweets, so a candy present is almost the first thing come to mind when selecting birthday gifts for your kids or teens. There are a countless number of candy birthday gifts to choose from - chocolate candy, candy bar, candy cane or sugar free candy. Parents, however, are often worried about bad cholesterol and saturated fats from candy. A candy birthday can actually be unique, healthy and sweet, of course.

Children always like chocolate gifts. Chocolates are available in many different flavors and shape, and are perfect gift choice for kids. In fact, chocolate candy does not raise the bad cholesterol (LDL) as other saturated fats do. It also contains healthy antioxidants - the same types found in a glass of red wine. Antioxidants improve and strengthen kids’ immune system besides tasting great. The darker and more pure forms of chocolate contain the most antioxidants. Chocolate candy does not contain as much caffeine as you might think either besides the fact that chocolate is a rich source of phosphorus and magnesium too. An average serving of chocolate candy has far less caffeine than a cup of coffee. Magnesium helps to maintain muscle and nerve function, is good for strong bones, and supports a healthy immune system and more. Phosphorus is important for bone and teeth formation in children and for works with calcium to keep bones strong and healthy for us throughout our lives. Chocolate gift delivery is convenient if you place the order online.

Sugar free candies taste like ordinary candies without saturated fats. Sugar free chocolate candy bars, in fact, have more antioxidants than red wine or even green tea. Chocolate contain flavonoids that is good for the heart. It thins the blood platelets and prevents clotting. In addition, flavonoids may be helpful in the prevention of cancer. Sugar free chocolates aren’t the kinds of chocolates popularly available in the market – high in calories. They’re low in calories since they’re sugar free.

Rock candy is easy to prepare, just dissolve sugar in water and boil stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the solution grows clear reaching a rolling boil. Rock candy is one of ideas for candy birthday gifts for kids. Rock candies aren’t as fancy as chocolates, but they add fun and surprise to birthday celebration. Put the mixture in a jar and cover with waxed paper with a string or skewer suspended in it, and after one week you will have rock candy as the water evaporates.

A childhood isn’t really sweet without candies. Candy doesn’t have to have negative impact on children’s health if chosen properly.

By Natalie Aranda


The meaning of Christmas to those that celebrate this day can be as different as the many Christmas Gift Ideas that you can find in magazines, from mouth to mouth or on the Internet if not already in your mind. Most people associate candy canes with Christmas gifts, but there are many other sweet gifts for this season including chocolate candy and the popular candy bar.

Christmas Gifts do not have to be expensive, in fact, this is the best time to use your own talents cooking and baking ahead on time from the typical shaped-ginger cookies to chocolate candy in as many ways as your imagination dictates. Candy bar presents are even easier to prepare with anticipation, either alone or as part of other seasonal recipes.

Crafting a feast for the eyes is also easy if you design your own Christmas gifts wrappers, decorating them with candy canes to make your job easier, some websites offer free pre-made Christmas wrapper templates for popular candy bars including Hershey's, Oh Henry!, M&Ms, Baby Ruth, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Snickers and even Junior Mints.

Christmas Gift Ideas based on chocolate candy may include Christmas Gift Baskets, which are typically available in varied styles and range. These baskets can be filled with a candy bar, cookies, boxed chocolates, a candy cane and other goodies to make your Christmas gifts a real delight for the eyes and of course, the taste.

From a simple candy cane, you can get countless Christmas Gifts, including ornaments, twists, and more. An easy to make gift is made by putting a candy cane in a bag and crush it with a rolling pin. Melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and deep spoons into chocolate to fill. Sprinkle with crushed candy and place on waxed paper covered cookie sheet to cool.

Spoons are a great present accompanied with a cup of hot cocoa and a candy bar with the attractive wrapper that you designed. Doing a little research on the web will show you many other Christmas Gift Ideas. Chocolate candy that you get from the supermarket during the season, generally include useful tips to transform this and other sweets into incredible presents.

Have you ever wondered where the candy cane comes from? Christmas Gifts rarely include the origins of legends so make an original present including a short written history or legend around a candy bar, chocolate candy or the candy cane itself. It is said that candy canes symbolize Jesus because their shape representing the letter "J" and their colors represent the purity and blood of Christ.

Although candy canes were created as treats to eat and decorate with them, there are a number of legends associated to them, including the supposedly relationship with the North Pole and Santa Claus, and a form of identification among Christians during a time of persecution. This way Christmas Gifts can be as tasty as entertaining and even educational.

By Kevin Salerno


Kids And Teens Bean Bag Chairs

Our kids used to fight over my old college bean bag chair. We had to buy each of them one of their own. That was ten years ago and they still use them now. I think their beanbags are the only gifts we've given them that they still have.

These chairs are nothing like the ones from twenty or thirty years ago. Heavy, uncomfortable, boring and ugly. The new style bean bags are lightweight, come in dozens of sizes, styles, shapes, colors, and fabrics. They work well with any home, apartment or room decor.

They are easily cleaned by just wiping them with a soapy sponge; and some covers are even machine washable. In a few years you can easily refill them, either completely or with a small amount of material just to fluff them up.

The majority of today's bean bag chairs use an expanded polystyrene foam filling, a type of Styrofoam. This material can be found on most bean bag chair websites.

You can get bean bags filled with polyurethane foam as well. This is a type of foam rubber, something like the cushions on your couch. A little harder to find than the polystyrene, but it is available. It's all a matter of personal taste. The polystyrene filling tends to have a firmer feel with extra support, whereas the polyurethane fill is a little heavier and will give you a softer more "sinking-in" type feeling.

Either product is light years ahead of the dinosaurs from the old days. The new bean bags boast beautiful style, a high comfort factor and extreme durability. You can't beat a bean bag chair as a gift. It's practical and a great value. The gift your loved ones will use and cherish every day for many years to come.

By Kim Patrick


How can we parent our kids and teens better? I think the answer lies in allowing our kids to have more choices, not fewer. We want to empower our kids and teens to make better choices for themselves, and this does not happen by wrapping them up in a cocoon. Here's an example of something that hopefully will cause you to rethink some of your parenting strategies:

My mother and her sister were both given cigarettes at age six and eleven. Mum will not smoke now but her sister became a chain smoker from that experience. I think their father made a huge mistake, nevertheless he was trying to put them off smoking and knew no other way. Imagine if he had done what I have done with my teenagers:

I have always said to my kids, if you ever want to try out smoking, just let me know and we will sit down together so you can try one. Now, hear me out. This is my logic. The child who wants to try a cigarette will try one regardless of whether you agree or not. If you say no they will simply do it behind your back. That's what kids do.

What if you were to let your child know that it is OK to want to try it out, but that you would prefer them to try it out in your presence? Doing this takes away the peer pressure that most kids face nowadays, leaving your child to make an educated choice without any pressure from anyone. Don't you see the value in that?

The goal of parenting is to help your children learn to make great choices in life and when their friends are not pressuring them, they have the best chance to do this. Parents, you need to let your child know that it is OK to want to have a cigarette, but that they should bring their request to you. Believe me, this will save you from heart ache.

Parents need to control the environment as much as possible. I have three teenage boys and I have asked them to come to me should they ever wish to smoke a cigarette. I would then go out and buy the strongest available cigarette and watch them try smoking one.

I know it sounds weird but the safest place to try something like this is definitely with mum or dad. When you show your child or teenager that it is OK to want to try it, they will be less likely to go ahead with it. None of my boys have asked me to smoke with them yet and I have a funny feeling they won't want to because I have empowered them in this area. It is no longer a big deal to them because I said they can try it out if they are curious.

The moral of the story? Try real hard not to forbid things that your child wants to do, rather channel them to do it in front of you so that you can supervise. Now that is great parenting of kids and teens.

By Regan Lee


People these days are rapidly starting to get cell phones at an earlier an earlier age. Particularly Smart Phones. These cell phones go anywhere from the Apple iPhone to the Blackberry. Although, the question is which one is the best for your child or teen?

The Blackberry was originally based as a business phone mostly for adults. With the Blackberry you get easy to retrieve e-mails, texts, and internet access. Plus their hit game Brick Breaker. Along with these features most of their models like the Blackberry Curve have a full accessible keyboard as for their one model the Blackberry Pearl and the Blackberry Pearl Flip come with a half keyboard with around two letters per key.

Although, don't get this wrong the Blackberry Pearl's keyboard does have a feature where it tries to predict what you are going to type and works very effectively and mostly helps you type fast with the smaller size phone. The Blackberry also includes a camera with a very nice zoom option. Along with these Blackberry's there is one touch screen called the Blackberry Storm which is hard to maneuver and does not have a slide out keyboard but a slim touch screen one.

The Apple iPhone was originally structured from the Apple iPod Touch. If you know what the Apple iPod Touch is than you should know that the Apple iPhone is the same thing just basically adding a phone, camera, and 3G AT&T network so you get internet access from anywhere there is AT&T cell phone service. This phone has thousands of applications for you to use and download onto your phone. A lot of these applications are free to download with a few that cost around a dollar or two.

Even you can download the Sims 3 onto your iPhone. Along with these applications you start out with a very fast Safari internet browser, Youtube, and many more. As you can assume this phone seems to attract kids and teens a lot with their games but the Apple iPhone also attracts adults, and business men. The reason for this is because along with the Apple Store's games they include Google Earth, Microsoft Word, and many more. Ideally the Apple iPhone is a very easy accessible phone. You have everything all together the way you want it. The only downside of there camera is the fact that there isn't a zoom in option.

Apple had recently come out with a new model called the iPhone 3G S. Which is really the same base except adding a few more features like Voice Control, Video, Search, and a few more. One of the few nicely designed downsides of this spectacular phone is the fact where you must use a touch screen keyboard on the phone but is surprisingly easy to type with. On all places on the Apple iPhone 3G S you can turn the keyboard sideways for a good long touch screen keyboard. As for the Apple iPhone you can only turn the keyboard in a few places. Really though one of the best features is that you can have your phone, computer, and ipod all on the go in one place.

With all things said the Apple iPhone wins for have the all around kids and teens vote for the gaming, music, and internet. Although, the Blackberry does seem to attract more business people mostly due to the fact that its strictly a no game phone with a base of your main needs for business work. Including that the Apple iPhone is more of an all around phone where the Blackberry tries to put its main focus on business.

By Andrea Saunders


We all know what healthy food is about: carbohydrates, lots of fruit, vegetables, whole-grain bread, and dairy products like yogurt, eggs, and milk. If you're wondering how to teach your kids and teens the importance of healthy food, there are cooking classes for kids that teach them just that. You can also invite them into your own kitchen and show them that they can use their imagination to make up recipes with vegetables of different colors, lean meat, eggs, and, at the same time, share some good quality time together.

Good Nutrition: a Family Affair

These recipes were especially created to teach your kids and teens that healthy food can be absolutely delicious: Chicken Nuggets Toss the chicken in a bag with Parmesan cheese and seasoned stuffing mix, and then bake it in the oven. These chicken nuggets are crispy, but they don´t have the extra fat you get from frying. If you think that pizza is not a nutritious food, take a look at this:

Yummy Pizza

1- Preheat the oven

2- Peel and chop some onion

3- Cut whole-grain pita bread in circles

4- Place the bread on a baking pan and sprinkle with onion, Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese melts.

6. Serve hot And remember to wear oven mitts. Easy and Healthy Snacks Kids and teens can make fun snacks and healthy meals on their own.

Leave fruit and vegetables on hand and let them use their imagination.

Your Healthy Food Guide

-Choose green and orange vegetables

-Choose fresh fruit as often as you can

-Choose full-grained food (cereal, rice, whole-grain bread)

-Use olive oil, if possible What about Sugar, Sweets and Desserts? Cookies, cakes, ice-cream, and muffins contain a lot of fat and sugar. Let your kids have a small amount at the end of a healthy meal.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day! Don't forget to visit our blog.

By Denson Kelley


The sluggish economy is affecting just about everyone, especially kids. These days kids want and need everything from fashionable clothes to iPods to evenings at the movies.

As any parent will tell you, none of this stuff is cheap. And with adult paychecks having to stretch further and further, any income kids and teens can bring in is much appreciated.

But the days of lemonade stands and mowing the occasional lawn may be in the past. Today kids of all ages are pulling in sizeable incomes working in the small businesses they own.

Thirteen year-old business owners? You bet. Kids, teens, and "tweens" are running everything from service businesses, to ingenious product retail operations, to online mail order extravaganzas.

Most of these businesses are cheap to start. Kids and/or their parents don't have to shuck out a small bank account to get the new business started.

Keller was just a fourth grader, but he quickly found a way to earn $50 or more per week. His mother took him to a store where he could purchased candy wholesale. Then Keller resold the candy to other kids after school.

School administrators were fine with the little guy's entrepreneurial spirit and the kids absolutely loved the opportunity to purchase their favorite sweets, often at a discount over local stores. After expenses, the 4th grader cleared $15 to $20 per day.

Nelda, a high school junior, knew she had a smart business idea when she overheard a restaurant owner complaining about all the customers who wanted home delivery. "The owner didn't have the time to deliver orders to people, so I offered to do it for her. Now I deliver meals to people all over town. My delivery business takes just two hours each afternoon and earns me several hundred dollars each week," she said.

Meanwhile, Markus, a 13 year-old 7th grader, is earning an impressive income offering closeout items on eBay. Markus gets the items from his uncle's store, then sells them on eBay and keeps a large percentage of the profit for himself. The store owner is happy to see items move and Markus is able to save about $700 per month for college.

These are just a few examples of the many solid, doable business ideas for kids. There are literally dozens of proven ideas that are being used by kids of all ages to earn anywhere from pocket change to an adult-sized income.

And this is perhaps the most important time in decades for kids to learn how to run their own businesses. Even a very small part-time venture can teach a child the vitally important aspects of being an entrepreneur.

In this day and age when jobs are getting harder and harder to come by, knowing how to start and operate your own business that makes good money is a skill to last a lifetime.

Of course, kid-approved businesses can be run part-time, leaving youth plenty of time to be kids. When a young person's idle time is filled with an interesting business that gives them the money they need, tasks like homework and household chores are easier to schedule in a disciplined way.

Also, most families simply need more income. If a child can bring home the cash they need to pay for items they want, then everyone in the family benefits from the additional cash flow.

It's an old-fashioned value that is suddenly more vital today than ever.

By Dino Entrails


1. Sell something that has a large demand. Usually, find something that people can not get at a certain place, but they want. For example, at a school, lets say everyone wants gum. It has a very high demand, but people can not leave school to get it. Sometime before school, go up to a local store and buy some gum, then try selling it for a little higher than what you got it for. You can also try buying them in bulk, then selling them separately.

2.Make a lemonade stand. Yes, it is as old as ways to make money are, but it still makes some money. Bring a nice cooler of lemonade and a sign advertising yourself. It does not have to be lemonade. If Cool-Aid would sell better, try selling it. Also, try selling something else. A cookie would go with that lemonade very nicely, don't you think?

3. Use your hobbies! Are you really good at crafts? Try selling them at a local store or a craft show. You could even try selling them online. Are you good at typing? Try typing essays or letters for elderly or people who are poor typers. Fix peoples' computers if you are good with computers. There are ways to make money for most hobbies and talents, if you look hard enough.

4. Start a blog. Lots of kids and teens are making money online every day. Find a good keyword, something that people are searching for and need information. Then, start a free Blogger blog and write posts about your keyword. Build traffic by writing articles and social bookmarking.

5. Complete paid online surveys. A good survey site is free and will pay 1-5 dollars for every survey, but some may be even higher. Surveys usually take 10-30 minutes, but higher paid surveys may take longer.

By Shelby Strong


We all want to be happy. As parents we want our kids to be happy, but what happens when we have a child that has a hard time getting through hard times, or is ultra-sensitive? Sometimes this can be hard, but there are some things we can do as parents to encourage positive behavior in our children which can in turn make them much more happy.

Adults and especially parents are kids most powerful role models, so it is important that we not act negatively around our children. Not that we have to pretend, but if we have a positive outlook, chances are they will too. They look up to adults and parents and want to be like them, so try for a day to say only positive things to your child, make them feel important, needed and special, and see if it doesn't make a little difference. Children just want to know they are valued and important to their parents. Make sure they never doubt how good they are.

Next, whether you work or you are a stay at home parent, spend organized, quality time with your child frequently. We can get busy an involved with projects or other important things and put our children last sometimes to deal with when we are tired and at the end of our rope. On occasion, this is to be expected, but make sure that you have 10-30 minutes every day when you can spend one on one time with your child. You can take this time to talk while playing about issues he or she may be having in their life that would cause them to be unhappy. You'd be surprised by how much they open up when you take the time to get on their level and ask.

A rewards system like tickets or marbles is a great way to reinforce positive behavior. When your child is happy and not fighting or being negative, he gets a marble in his jar. When it is filled, he gets a special prize or a date with Mom or Dad to a favorite restaurant or skating rink. This is a great way to let your child visualize how much good he has done in a short amount of time. This works well for any age of children and can be adapted with bigger prizes for older children.

Last, get involved with what your children are doing. If they love soccer, volunteer to be a coach or assistant coach. You could volunteer in their classroom once a week, which would be a big help to the teacher and would help you learn about the dynamics in the classroom with the other kids, and what your child is learning. Another way to get involved is to immerse yourself in what they like to play with. If they love the Disney princesses, then play "Royal Ball" with them, or play online princess dress up with them. It doesn't have to be expensive; the most fun is usually when you do something together that's free. Most importantly just spend the time together and let her know you also enjoy what she is interested in.

Never let your child question your love for him. No matter what he does or says, you will always be there to talk to him and comfort him in times of need. Doing a few simple things should make a big difference in how happy your kids are, and as a result, it will make you a lot happier too!

By James Lehman


As every parent knows, fights over bedtime can be one of the biggest power struggles you'll have with your child, whether they're five or fifteen. The truth is, many kids just don't want to go to bed at night. For most of them, I think it's because they're afraid they're going to miss something. With others, it might be because they're frightened of the dark, or afraid to go to sleep. And for some kids, they simply want to be in control. Bedtime just becomes another arena in which kids will try to fight with you. If you've ruled out fear of the dark, fear of bedwetting, and fear of not waking up, that leaves us with oppositional behavioral issues-the power struggle.

First of all, as in any power struggle, we don't want to engage in a fight if we can possibly avoid it. That means that if we implement a new program, we may get a fight at first-and by the way, it might be a very serious or forceful one. My advice is that you try not to personalize it and instead, realize that this is a matter of your child meeting their responsibilities. In other words, the focus should be on your child learning how to manage himself through meeting his responsibilities and not on your child learning to manage you through power plays.

FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN

Realize that the problem-solving skills of younger kids are less evolved; they often have problems with impulsivity and frustration control. If going to bed is frustrating for them, it's likely that their behavior is going to escalate into an unpleasant situation. So the first rule is, don't make bedtime unpleasant. Make no mistake, I'm not saying make it pleasant by talking sweet or bribing them. I'm saying don't make it unpleasant by looking for an argument. Don't make it into a self-fulfilling prophecy and expect them to fight with you because that's what they've done in the past.

Have Quiet Time before Bedtime

I think as the house winds down before bedtime, there should be quiet time. Any TV or DVDs watched by your child should be screened for mellowness and simplicity. No video games or computer a half hour before bedtime. Ideally, bedtime should be a time of quiet in the house-dad shouldn't be building a chair in the garage, mom shouldn't be slamming around in the kitchen, and other siblings should not be screaming and yelling or laughing loudly.

Have Your Child Set Their Own Alarm Clock

When kids begin pre-school or kindergarten, they should get an alarm clock. Teach them how to set themselves at night when they start school. Part of the ritual of getting up is that we set the alarm clock at night when we go to bed. That way, you get your child to take responsibility as soon as they have some place they need to go. This is basic behavioral training, and it's effective in getting kids into the routine of waking up in the morning. By the way, I would recommend that you get an alarm clock with a subtle ring that doesn't rattle kids' nerves in the morning.

Use a Star Chart to Get Kids Focused on Good Nighttime Behavior

For younger children with behavioral issues, I recommend that parents have what is known as a star chart. You can construct this yourself by getting some magnetic stars and dots, a whiteboard and a non-erasable marker. Across the top of the chart, you make a row for every day of the week. Across the bottom, you make lines. On the top line, you write, "Gets ready for bedtime without a fight" "Does bedtime hygiene well" "Goes to his room and gets into bed without an argument." And in some cases you might want to put, "Shuts off light in half-an-hour." So what happens is that if your child goes to the bathroom and follows good hygiene, he gets a star. But let's say he doesn't go to his room appropriately. Then he gets a dot. With this system, you have two ways of measuring rewards. It's a very powerful method to encourage the performance of simple, functional behaviors.

Your child has two ways to get rewarded here: if they get a certain percentage of stars each day, they get a reward that night, and if it's weekly, they get it that weekend. The reward on the weekend has to be something special with an adult. Like they go have an ice cream cone with dad, or go to a movie with both parents. The daily reward might be some extra video game time or the ability to stay up half-an-hour later. The reason we do it incrementally is that your child almost always has a chance to succeed and can almost always start over. So you won't have him saying, "I've already ruined my day, why should I try?" On a start chart, kids never lose. If they don't accomplish a certain goal, they don't lose a star-they just don't gain one.

Use Soft Lights 30 Minutes Prior to Bedtime

Leave on a soft light in the room for half-an-hour before lights out. For younger kids under eleven, reading is a good way to fall asleep. It clears their mind and is soothing. It also gives them some power of choice. "Would you like to read?" and "What would you like to read?" are all built into this idea. Now, if you give that as an option to your kids, the good news is if they don't get up on time in the morning, that's the first thing you can take away: It becomes the consequence for not getting up. And not only do they get a dot on their chart, they hear, "You're going to have your lights out with no reading time until you get up on time for two days." Be sure to add, "After two days, we'll try it again."

A word of advice here: always keep a light at the end of the tunnel for kids. If you make them feel powerless, it will encourage them to engage in power struggles with you.

FOR OLDER KIDS

For adolescents at bedtime-that's kids aged 12 and up-the scenario is a little different. The problem with teens is that the issue about going to their bedroom will hardly present any problem at all. Many will already be in their bedroom talking on their cell phones and texting their friends. As many parents know, the issue is what they do in their room after bedtime.

By the way, rules around bedtime with older teens are highly dependent on whether or not they get up on time in the morning. If your child can wake up with the alarm, goes to school and is not rude or unpleasant, and he plays video games until midnight, if that doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me.

Take the Electronics out of the Bedroom (Two Ways to Do It): Here, we're dealing specifically with the kids who stay up late and don't get up in the morning, or who are nasty and mean in the morning because they're tired, who fall asleep in school and can't produce quality work because they're sleepy. I have some bad news for parents of these kids: your child should not be allowed to have any electronics in their room at bedtime. You can accomplish this in two ways: you can take the game controls of the video game, their cell phone and the mouse and keyboard out of their room. Or you can simply remove all of the electronic stuff from the room.

It goes without saying that if your child is not complying, the cell phone stays with the parent. Please note what I said: not in the kitchen or in the living room, but in the parent's hand. I think for adolescents, you never put the stuff back in their room until they've proven themselves. If they abuse it, they have to earn it back.

Check in on Your Kids before Lights out I also recommend that parents check on kids at least once while the light is on before they go to sleep, as well. Of course, it's important to knock on their door and say, "May I come in?" If your child says yes, then open the door. If they say no, then say, "OK, I'll be back in 5 minutes." Checking on your kids, even adolescents, lets them know that you're concerned about what they're doing and care about their health and safety.

Free Time before They Sleep Success with the new bedtime program will depend on your teen's temperament as well as your conviction that learning how to get up is an important responsibility for your child. Some parents don't mind waking their kids up five times; others see it as a real manipulation on the part of their child to avoid getting up on time and taking responsibility. Either way, older kids are also welcome to have their lights on for an hour before bedtime, during which time they can read. Again, that's going to help them wind down, calm down and get them ready to sleep. Some parents allow low music and others don't. I think that each parent can go through the process of elimination with different variables and see what works best for their family.

Giving Consequences to Teens: Adolescents are given the same consequences as younger kids: have them lose their hour of reading time if they have problems getting up in the morning. You can also use the same formula that you use with younger kids: "Do it for a few days, and we'll talk about it." Older kids may act out and be angry about this. But once again, consistency and perseverance on the part of the parent will really pay off.

A Powerful Tool for Parents: Ask the 4 Questions and End Power Struggles

Here's a sample conversation you can have with your younger or older child after you've explained the new rules of bedtime to them:

You: "What is the new rule?" Your child: "Lights out." You: "How will we know it's working?" Your child: "I'll get up on time." You: "What will we do if it doesn't work?" Your child: "We'll try again." You: "What will we do if it works? Your child: "I'll get lights back on."

This type of dialogue, which focuses on four elements, is a good way to train kids to really measure something. The four measurements are really 4 simple questions:

1. How will we know it's working?
2. How will we know it's not working?
3. What will we do if it's working?
4. What will we do if it's not working?

Those are powerful questions, whether you ask them in regard to your child staying up later, using the car, or going to a dance. Imagine that your teen wants to change his or her bedtime to 10 p.m. and it's currently set at 9:30. Let's say as a parent, you're open to the idea and willing to try it. The conversation should go like this:

"OK, here's the deal, Sam. We'll let you change your bedtime to 10 o'clock at night. How will we know it's working?" Hopefully your child will answer with, "I'll get up on time." If not, you can lead it: "You'll get up on time. You won't be rude with other people in the morning, and you won't fall asleep in school."

The next question is, "How will we know it's not working?" And the answer: "You're not getting up on time, you're being unpleasant and cranky in the morning, and you're not doing your assignments in school, because you're sleepy."

End the conversation with the last two "what" questions:

"What will we do if it is working? We'll keep it going - great job."

"What will we do if it's not working? We'll go back to the 9:30 bedtime for awhile until we have a chance to discuss it again."

Those terms are the elements for any discussion around your child meeting responsibilities or doing new things. It's a very, very powerful equation for anyone when measuring something, but it's especially effective for a child or adolescent because it focuses them on the rules and gives you a structure to fall back on if they can't meet their responsibilities. If your child isn't able to keep up his or her end of the bargain and they attempt to start a fight, you can always refer them back to the four questions and the agreement you had before the new rule was put into play.

Remember, you can end power struggles by taking the focus off meaningless arguments, and putting it back where it belongs-on responsibility.

By Walter H. Jackson


We all want to inspire young people, but we can't do it if we are not inspired on a continuous basis ourselves This can sometimes be difficult to do in today's world filled with depressing news. It takes effort.

Great teachers and great coaches know you have to keep yourself balanced and optimistic. It is not what you say to young people; it is the example they see in you which is most important. This is why some people say, "I talk and talk, and talk and it doesn't do any good." Kids are intuitive. They know if you are living by the principles, you are trying to teach them. For example, if you tell them to be positive, and you are acting depressed, they will not be motivated to be positive. Why should they listen to you?

How to keep yourself inspired:

1. Take time to read passages from some self-help or spiritual book everyday. Biographies are great to keep you inspired. Reading about how others overcame opposition helps you get through your challenges.

2. Daily exercise is not only the healthy thing to do, but it keeps your spirits high by raising your energy levels. You cannot motivate others if you are tired and lethargic.

3. Surround yourself with positive people. You do not need people who are going to keep bringing you down. If they are relatives, tell them in a loving way that you are trying to improve your life, and are not going to engage in negative conversations. If they persist, tell them simply that you will have to talk to them later when the conversation is not so depressing to you. Eventually they will get the message and know that if they talk to you, they are going to have to be more positive. This helps them to be more conscious of what they are saying and improves their lives as well. Often people are simply not aware of how negative they are to others. They do not realize that this is exactly why their lives may be falling apart.

4. Find a mentor. Mentors can be teachers, spiritual leaders, or anyone you admire. Write a letter or email someone successful to ask them how they became successful, they may surprise you and write back.

5. Write down your goals. Keep them in your wallet or purse and look at them on a daily basis.

6. Find quotes and write down affirmations that lift you. Read them as often as possible.

7. Listen to motivation tapes in the morning while getting dressed to start your day. If you are open, find spiritual books and tapes to uplift yourself.

You will never know how much you have changed the life of a child, teen, or young adult. Sometimes they will not even realize the impact you have had on their life until years later. So, do not expect them to lavish you with compliments. You may not even see an immediate difference in their behaviors. However, know, they are taking in everything thing you say and they are watching your behaviors. Simply be the best you can be and keep yourself inspired and motivated. You are bound to make a difference in a young person's life, and even in yours.

By Ma. Sheila Escuro


The fashion keeps on changing but the styles remained constant. Simply said, the trade name of your outfit doesn't matter, it is about wearing those ensembles.

To instill in them that fashion sense or to let them appreciate fashion while they are kids can really assist them in the near future, when they have the insights already of good labels, to economize. Instead of running that so much bills to their credits. There are lots of adolescents who receive education on fashion but only on magazines who tends to advertise their products, designs a lot for selling more on it. This is nothing on objective fashion education. Just for a sample, this fashion magazines would not tell about grades on leather nor how to maintain shoes due to the fact that they only like the people to purchase and nothing more. The questions most of us is, what if i got a limited cash?

1. Fabric - when you take your child to shop on their dress, it must be very educational or they feel it as a field trip. When the clothing apparel are compared based to their quality, should you spend more on its quality or the label? Our kids is easily influenced, they are learning in direct experience, by setting right in their faces.

2. The colors - is it suitable, is it fine on the occasion, your skin complexion or better be in variety? Our clothes during work, special events, recreational activities and so much more.

3. The maintenance - our kids need to know maintenance most especially to the leather goods including the belts, shoes, wallets and bags.

4. To know difference on raw materials, including the various quality of the leather. Kids needs to know the unprocessed leather, when your buying a low quality like many cheap versions it will also mean low quality but then purchasing a higher quality version will require maintenance. This type of leather should not be utilized daily because its prone to stains of water then an increase exposure on sunlight leads to their darkening.

By Lorena B Angell


Does the thought of camping with your kids stress you out? Do you find yourself dreading family trips with your kids? Wouldn't it be nice to relax and de-stress on the weekend instead of getting even more wound-up?

Camping with our kids and teens can sometimes be a struggle.

Somewhere in our minds, we have programmed ourselves to force our children to enjoy nature. We want them to appreciate all the beauty and wildlife especially when we live in urban areas and we don't see those things everyday.

We plan our meals to be the foods that our kids will eat, not so much what we like ourselves. Only to have them put their noses into the air and say they aren't hungry. We try so hard to make the whole experience fun for our kids that we become frustrated when it fails.

The harder we try to force them to enjoy and appreciate, they fight us. They put on their pouty faces and complain and mope around, determined to not have a good time. All the while, you as the parent are ready to explode. You find yourself irritated and grouchy. I think that secretly the kids are pleased with themselves for irritating you so.

Teens absolutely detest being pulled away from their friends and lifestyles. It is social death for them to be separated from their cell phone. We say to them, "this will be good for you" or "there weren't cell phones one hundred years ago and they got along just fine, you'll live".

Even with all of that, we wonder why our teen can't just enjoy the trip and be happy. Our camping trip has turned into one of anger, frustration, disappointment and stress. Does this sound familiar to you?

Have you ever heard the saying, "pick your battles wisely"? Camping should not be a battle that you have with your kids.

Maybe all you need is some helpful tips on how to make the camping experience enjoyable for all. My number one suggestion for creating a low stress camping trip is to go with the flow and not against it.

Instead of battling with them and insisting that they leave their cell phone home, let them bring it.

Let your kids bring their electronic gadgets: Cell phones, gaming devices, cd players, mp3 players, dvd players. Cell towers are more common in the mountains these days, plus, texting is usually possible with only one bar of service where actual calls may not work so well.

Younger kids might want to bring their gaming devices along and quite honestly, it makes the drive to your camping spot easier when everyone is entertained. We like to take our DVD player with us for our younger child. The car ride to our camp site goes much quicker without having to hear, "Are we there yet?".

Plus, we can bring other DVD's to watch in case we get rained out and have to spend a lot of time in our tent.

Remember the batteries and power. Make sure you are well equipped to handle your needs. Power inverters are wonderful as are small generators when you are camping without electricity.

The whole idea of camping is to de-stress and get away from it all. It seems rather odd that I would recommend taking it all with you. However, you'll find that by allowing some freedoms for your kids, they'll actually be more relaxed and that will trickle down to you.

You also might witness an extraordinary event, Mother Nature winning out. Once the kids are actually out in the forest or down by the stream or sitting around the campfire, they seem to relax and enjoy themselves. Before too long, you'll notice that they are no longer holding their electronic devices. They will be adding firewood to the fire or collecting tadpoles down at the stream instead of claiming victory over the fourth level of some handheld game you can't even pronounce.

But whatever you do, don't make a big deal about it. Just enjoy the fact that the kids aren't fighting and sit back and relax.

Lorena B. Angell is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys camping with her children and husband. She enjoys helping others learn how to let go of the stresses of life and relax with camping.