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.