Parenting – Parent Slate

iPhone Versus Android: Which Is the Best for Kids?

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to putting the entire world at your child’s fingertips. What kind of parental controls are available? How can you insure the safety and durability of the device? It’s great that your kids have developed the responsibility required for you to trust them with their own phone, but you might want to ease into the situation.

The first choice you’ll have to make is whether to buy an iPhone or an Android device. As far as families are concerned, Apple products are a relatively clear choice. Here are a few reasons why.

Family Plan

Set up a family plan with your Apple ID and all the members of your family. You can set permissions for game purchases, share App Store credit and even locate the devices of your family members. Your local Apple Premier Partner has experts on hand who can explain the process and walk you through setting everything up.

Entertainment

Both Android and iPhone devices have access to many popular media sources, but the immensely popular iTunes service works best on Apple phones. Subscribe to Apple Music for your kids, or authorize song purchases through the iTunes store so they can expand their collection.

Social

Many of your child’s friends are likely to have Apple iPhones. Make sure they can interact smoothly by using the same apps, emojis and games as the other kids. Believe it or not, your child’s desire for the same iPhone everyone else has is probably based on technical compatibility issues. Your child can still stand out from the crowd by customizing with items from an iPhone accessories store.

In short, you’ll probably want to go with an Apple phone unless your child has a strong preference for the Android operating system. The iPhone is easier to integrate into family plans, has better access to entertainment and is more compatible with other iPhones.

How to Be the Cool Mom

When it comes to raising children, it’s a thankless job, but somebody’s got to do it. After all, children are the future, and they need and depend on us. However, your child is likely to emotionally immature to appreciate you just yet. That will change with time. For now, you’re a dispenser of things and a “no” machine. You child is likely embarrassed of your affection around their friends, which is a shame, because you love your child and you want them to know, but they don’t want anyone to see it. However, you can combat this by simply being a cooler parent. “The cool mom” has certain privileges over regular stick in the mud moms. Here are a few tips to become the mom your child wants to be seen with.

First and foremost, there’s the matter of style. Naturally, you’re going to be in charge of what your child wears, and you may not put much thought into it. The utilitarian “whatever gets the job done” approach is fine, but it you curate some stylish outfits for your kids, that’s a bragging point when it comes to their friends. Furthermore, if you, yourself, exhibit a sense of style, you’ll be more welcome around your child and their friends, so picking up some fashionable threads from Talbots might be the right idea.

Another way to become the cool mom is to simply host play dates. If your house becomes the home away from home to a few of your child’s friends, they’ll all come to know you and like you, and you’ll get to be the cool mom for that. You’ll be supplying a place your child and their friends to get together and some snacks and the occasional dinner, and that goes a long way. With these tips in mind, you’ll practically be a part of your child’s friend group.

Tips to Help You Protect Your Kids Online

In the past, most parents complained about their kids spending too much time in front of the TV. They wanted their kids to go out and play or focus on their studies instead of ‘getting their brains fried’ by spending so much time in front of the tube.

Today the problem is quite different. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s study showed that the younger generation is spending an average of 75 hours a week tethered to technology. This includes an average of two and a half hours on music, five hours on movies and TV and at least three hours on video games and the internet. Only an average of 38 minutes was spent on good old fashioned reading.

While some parents may think that having their children safely in the house is enough for them, spending so much time online exposes children to a different type of danger. A survey showed that one in five internet users aged 10 – 17 had reported receiving unwanted sexual solicitation from online predators. More than 4500 such cases are reported to the police annually. Some of these cases have resulted in the sexual abuse of these unsuspecting children.

How to protect your child

Discuss online safety with them

Discussing online safety with your children from an early age is key to ensuring their online safety. While you may way want to keep an eye on your child, you can’t be with them the whole day. The fact is that children gain access to the internet at school, on their phones and at other places that you may not know of. Highlighting the importance of online safety and how they can protect themselves, e.g. using passwords and keeping private information private, will go a long way in helping to keep them safe even when they are not under your watchful eyes.

Use parental controls

There are various parental controls that internet browsers provide. Set up security safeguards as well as content filters for violence, sex, nudity and strong language to help control the content that your children have access to while online. An easy option is to use browsers that have been developed specifically for use by children.

Understand the signs that your child may be at risk

Knowing and understanding the signs that your child may be at risk will help you take action early and prevent a disaster. Some of the signs include:

Spending a large amount of time online especially during the night

Children who spend a great deal of time online are at greater risk of falling victim to online sexual predators. Such children are more likely to try and make friends online through chat rooms or explore sexually explicit websites. Using the internet in the evening is even more risky since many predators go to work during the day and spend the evening lurking the internet searching for children to lure.

They have pornography on their computers

Check your child’s computer for pornography. Predators often supply the children they are trying to lure with pornography. Be sure to check their browsing history as well.

Receiving calls or gifts from adults
Your child switches windows quickly when you walk in

Be sure to protect your child as you subscribe to internet service providers. Check what security options your internet service provider offers to further enhance your child’s safety. Visit http://internetbundle.net/ for more.

How you can encourage today’s children to be tomorrow’s philanthropists

During the formative years, it is important for children to learn the importance of giving back to the community and those less fortunate. Here are some ways you can encourage children to have a philanthropic approach to life.

Volunteer

Your own children can benefit highly from volunteering with you. Although children can only do so much, depending upon their age and maturity level, it is important that they begin getting the experience of participating in charitable acts at an early age. Even those that are too young to actively participate at all can benefit with the knowledge that their parents are volunteering their time to help others.

Perspective

It is easy for young and old alike to get caught up in their own lives and not realize how others live and the hardships that others may have to overcome. Volunteering, or at the very least using video and printed media, to expose your children to other people and cultures can allow them to gain a different perspective on life. When children see others in less fortunate circumstances, they begin to show empathy which can lead to a desire to help others.

Small acts = big changes

All too often people fall into the trap of thinking, “What can I do?” or “What I can do won’t make a difference”. The truth is that small acts add up to big changes. When many people work together towards a cause, a lot of positive change can happen. If 10,000 people give a dollar to a charity, then all of a sudden that is $10,000. An hour of volunteer time by 160 people is the equivalent of one person working full time towards a cause.

Pick a cause they are passionate about

Children are good at expressing themselves. If there is a cause that they are concerned about in their community, then it might make an excellent starting point for figuring out how to give back. One suggestion is the GEDE Foundation. Jennifer Atiku is passionate about eradicating AIDS and HIV in her native Nigeria. She has used her success to start and chair the GEDE Foundation. The GEDE Foundation provides complete clinical, educational, and counselling services to those suffering from HIV and their families. Its complete treatment and prevention approach has helped a lot of people overcome the stigma and shame that many people experience upon finding they are a carrier of HIV. You can find out more about Jennifer and her work at atiku.org.

Another suggestion for a cause that children may be passionate about is World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief has made a big difference by creating easy to repair and durable bicycles for use throughout the world. This has created more efficient transportation and delivery for a variety of goods. Also, Azim Premji is not a name that most people know but he has contributed more than $2 billion of his own money to improving primary education throughout India.

Listen and find solutions

Children are much more receptive than many give them credit for. It is important to listen to their thoughts and perspectives on issues and help them better understand their surroundings. Sometimes simple things can make all the difference.

How to Inspire Creativity in Kids

With social media taking over our children’s lives, it can sometimes feel like they spend all their time in front of a screen. While the internet can be a creative place, more often than not it’s a pretty passive one. Kids watch and look at all sorts of stimulation, but are not necessarily challenged to do anything themselves. In reality, most children love the opportunity to think and create – whether through visual arts, in song, dance, or anything else.

Our job as parents is to try and help them find a way to express their creativity and develop their skills. We’ve put together some top tips on getting your youngsters to find their inner Picasso, from encouraging a creative environment at home, to creating easy origami animals for kids.

One of the most important parts of being a creative person is learning creativity as a habit from a young age and for that, children need creative role models. A great thing you can do for your child’s artistic development is to show your own expressive side. This might be doing art projects around the house or simply being involved in a music group and inviting your children to come along to performances. Kids love it when they see their parents making something new or doing things they love. There’s nothing more inspiring than that, so start by tapping into your own creative potential.

Next, have a think about the environment your children is in. Is it one that excites their imagination? Or is it a bit functional? Kids who grow up in homes that look interesting and colourful are going to take that approach to life more broadly; they’ll see art as an everyday necessity, not just a subject at school. Try brightening up your home with funky wallpaper or interesting objects that you’ve collected on your travels. Pick art works with your children that you both love, and make sure there’s always music in the background when you’re relaxing together.

Finally, give some thought to the kind of activities you do with your children. Sometimes it’s easy to pigeonhole little ones early on thinking some are more academic or sporty than creative. But in fact we all have an expressive side and to grow up into healthy human beings we need to know how to develop it. Start on a rainy day with indoor activities like easy origami animals for kids, making potato stamps, sock puppets, or even spoon people. Ensure you give children a range of different arts and craft ideas to try; eventually they’ll find something they really love.

There are whole ranges of things you can do to encourage little ones to grow up into expressive, artistic adults. Whether it’s easy origami animals for kids, piano playing, potato stamps or anything else you can think of – creativity is an important characteristic, so remember to nurture the instinct as much as possible while they’re young.

What to Do with a Sick Child at Home

Getting sick is an all too common occurrence for a lot of kids. No matter what parents do to try to prevent it, every child will get sick from time to time. This usually means spending the day at home with mom or dad.

Everyone knows how miserable it is to be at home sick, so many parents want to do whatever they can to help their child feel better right away. There are a great deal of activities parents can do with their sick kids to make their day at home better. Here are some things to do with a sick child at home.

Watch a funny movie

Most kids who are sick are already in a pretty bad mood. One great way parents can cheer them up is by letting them watch their favorite funny movie. Anyone can use Information on TV Packages to find the best movies and TV shows for their child to help them feel better right away.

Go outside for some fresh air

Fresh air outside can help kids heal from their illness much faster. Taking a step outside the home, then, to get some fresh air can be the perfect sick day activity. Take a walk around the block or just sit for a while in the backyard.

Make a craft from bed

Crafts are a great project for all kids to take on. A lot of little crafts can be done easily without even making a child get out of bed. Parents can bring all the supplies to them and let them work at their own pace to create something new and beautiful. This can help kids keep their mind off of their illness and focus on something else.

Take a trip down memory lane

Every family has a lot of photo albums and other memorabilia that they use to keep track of all the events in their lives. Parents can let their child take a quick trip down memory lane by looking through old photo albums and reminiscing about past vacations and other events. These talks can be a great distraction for a sick child.

Let the child play doctor

Some kids will need to visit the doctor’s office for their illness, but others will just need to wait out the symptoms at home. Either way, it can be fun for kids to play doctor for themselves to try to figure out what treatment is best for their symptoms. They can even play doctor on other people or their toys, making up new symptoms and diseases to create a fun game.

Create a spa day

Steam showers and hot baths are often the perfect medicine for kids who are sick. Parents can make these events a little more fun by creating a spa day for the child. Try to replicate spa services while still giving the child what they need to beat their illness, like a steamy bath with fun colored bubbles.

Image: https://pixabay.com/en/boy-cranky-sad-laying-down-couch-694763/

How Parents Can Make their Home More Fun for Kids

Creating a good family home requires the house to fill a lot of different roles. Parents want the house to be beautiful and functional, and kids want it to be comfortable and fun. Meeting all of these requirements can be a challenge for any home owner.

Even though it can be a struggle at times, there are some ways anyone can meet in the middle and create a home that pleases everyone. Parents can create options that will maintain the style of the house, but still create fun and exciting space for the kids. Here are some ways parents can make their home more fun for kids.

Give them more selection

Often times, kids will get bored easily of the same old toys, TV shows and other items around the house that they usually have to entertain themselves with. Parents can give a few more options without spending a lot more money to make the house a more entertaining place to be. Anyone can click to see other options that they can add easily without spending more money.

Make daily chores more fun

Doing chores around the home is something that no child or parent looks forward too. However, these chores still need to get done every day. Parents can help make the process more fun by creating some little games to go with everyday chores in their house. One example is to give children small rewards for each chore completed.

Let them break some of the rules

Every family has their own set of rules that everyone needs to follow. These rules are often in place to protect the home, but some of the rules can be broken on occasion to switch things up. Parents can let their kids write on the walls with a chalkboard wall or color on the windows with glass markers for a creative way to bend the rules.

Build in some backyard toys

Going outside is a great escape for many children. However, few kids feel that there is enough to do outside that can keep them entertained for long periods of time. Every home should have a backyard with a few toys built in to maintain the function and appeal of the entire house. Parents can build things like a sandbox or a water fountain that the kids can play in.

Make meal times fun and playful

Daily meals and snacks do not have to be all about business. Every mother or father can make mealtime fun, which not only breaks up the monotony for the children, but also makes eating regular and healthy meals something they want to do. Host an indoor picnic or let them make faces and designs with their food before they eat it.

Don’t keep breakable things in reach or in an unsecure spot

One of the best things parents can do to make their home more fun for kids is to give them freedom to play as they want, wherever they want to. Most homes will have some spaces off limits because of the fragile items in that space. Parents can place these items high up or secure them away to create a fun and welcoming atmosphere.

Image: http://pixabay.com/en/portrait-kids-family-709197/

Inspirational figures in engineering your kids should look up to

Engineering is a daunting sector in which to be job searching; after all, it is filled with brilliant minds, men and women who are good at business and, usually, good with their hands; and there is a minefield of technical jargon that few people outside of the industry will understand. It is little wonder, then, that children are put off pursuing a career in engineering during their earliest years. What your children may not be aware of, though, is just how amazingly rewarding an engineering career can be, or the types of opportunities that are available to those who truly try. Isn’t it about time we tried to inspire them a little?

What is engineering?

A branch of science and technology that is largely concerned with engines, machines, electrical appliances and computers, and physical structures, engineering is central to Britain’s economic future; it is the field in which big structural, transporting, and electrical decisions and designs are made – a sector that helps to make our country the way it is, and run in the manner that it is. Combining science, maths, and hands-on experience to solve the day’s biggest, and smallest, problems, engineering can be a daunting subject in which to study or consider working; after all, a job in which you’re improving the lives of everyone around you has a lot of responsibility. What many people miss, though, is just how rewarding a career in engineering can be, and how many opportunities – for example, travel, job satisfaction, great rewards packages and salary potential, and career progression – are available to those who are willing to work hard, applying the skills they have to each problem with vigour and confidence.

Key figures in the world of engineering

According to EngineeringUK, the number of students taking engineering subjects is in steady decline, leaving the industry facing uncertainty. Luckily for the engineers of tomorrow, there are some truly amazing role models for them to look up to and be inspired by. History is filled with famous inventors, mathematicians, builders and designers, but it is those in our most recent history that can be the most influential; for example, the chairman of Meggitt, Sir Nigel Rudd, currently leads one of the most influential and important engineering companies on these shores. Having founded one of the country’s largest industrial holdings companies, Williams Holdings (which later became Chubb PLC and Kidde PLC), back in 1982, you could say that engineering and its successes are in Rudd’s blood, and he has held a chair position at some of the UK’s biggest companies. Other names you may wish to look out for, and encourage your children to research, are Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, Grace Hopper, an early computer scientist, and Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine – you never know where your research will lead you.

As the numbers of students studying engineering, and taking on jobs in the field post-graduation, decline rapidly, it is more important than ever to find figures to inspire children; engineering is a fantastic field for both men and women, and there is no reason why children of both genders shouldn’t find incredible success as engineers.

Teaching Your Children to Respect the Law

According to OK Bail Bonds (www.okbailbonds.net), expecting your kids to respect the law without observing the same rules yourself is futile. So, the first rule to instilling respect in your kids is to show it yourself. Beyond that, there are ways you can inform your children on how to show proper respect to the officers and other law enforcement professionals that work hard to protect them, along with teachers and yourselves as parents.

Don’t Fudge on the Little Things

We all do it. Sneaking a grape or two or ten in the supermarket while no one’s looking. Rushing to get to an appointment. Going over the speed limit and ignoring simple road signs. Texting while driving. Downloading music illegally. These things may seem benign, but in fact they are examples of the way we break the law in little ways every day. And your children are watching, observing, and learning. Adjust your behaviors to show your little ones that even popping a harmless grape in the grocery store is considered stealing. If your child is the one stealing, such as taking gum from a store without paying, take him or her back to the store to either pay for the item or leave it there. Explaining clearly why that was wrong and aligning yourself on their side without making them feel like a common thief will drive the point home and teach them what’s right.

Teach Often and Early

Kids are sponges, especially from a very early age. You may not realize it but they are learning from everything you do. Make every day a teachable moment to respect authority. Don’t threaten your child with calling the police for bad behavior. This may work in the short term, but you’re only teaching your child to respect police officers out of fear and not trust. In addition, this only works so many times before it is ineffective.

Basic Social Skills

Teaching your kids basic social skills and manners will help them out as they begin their own interactions at school and in the company of authority figures such as police officers. Instilling respect for others helps them acknowledge their impact on other people, says Empowering Parents.

Talk About Consequences

Explaining what the laws are, both in society and in the home, is the first step to a healthy respect for authority. The next step is to explain the consequences of breaking the law so that your children are aware of what will happen to them if they disobey. Explain that consequences are not so much a punishment but an assurance of safety as well. What happens if you disregard roadway signs and fail to stop at a red light? You could get in an accident and get hurt or hurt others. Same with crossing at designated crosswalks only. This also goes for laws of the classroom and the home. For example, why does your child have to listen to the teacher quietly without interrupting? Why do they have to stand quietly in line at lunch? Why do they have to do their chores at home? These are all rules that they must obey in order to comply with the laws of each circumstance.

Teaching your kids to respect the law isn’t easy. As said above, you have to teach by example, so you may have to look inside yourself to find the answer first. In the end, if you do your job right, you can ensure you’re raising a respectful person who is mindful of the laws of society.

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The benefits of music lessons for kids

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