Being A Mommy

There goes a saying that decision of being a Mommy is a decision of life time. It is a decision to let your heart walk out of your body and run on the streets. Being a mother is not easy. Many mothers would agree to fact that it is a full time job, with no remuneration, no leaves and no retirement. Mothers are angels. They look after their kids. The bond between the mother and the child is so strong that a mother always understands what is going on in her child’s mind?

The first word that the kid learns to utter is mom or mommy. When we are hurt or we falter while walking, the first thing we do is we remember our moms. Mothers are wonderful creations of God. Being a mother includes various responsibilities. It includes teaching you to take the first step in life. It involves teaching you to differentiate right from wrong and good from bad. It involves, developing the child into a responsible citizen and a matured adult. They that mother’s are the most influential factors of a person’s life. Look at all the great men in history; the driving force behind their success was their mother. Being a mother means setting an example for your kid. A mother never holds a grudge; a mother is always forgiving and caring. However the same loving and caring mother can turn into a tigress to protect her child. She will always be there to shield her little one from all the troubles in the world.

A mother is a teacher and a guide. She will always show the righteous path to her child. She will pamper him but at the same time be stern enough to correct your wrong doings. Being a mommy isn’t an easy task. It’s a life time commitment to care for your child without expecting any reward.

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Strollers are Great for Safety

An 'Odder' brand perambulator.

Image via Wikipedia

When my children were babies, I thought always having to drag a stroller around with us was a hassle. It took up half the space in the car’s trunk, was awkward to put in and take out, and made it harder to get through the aisles in the stores. If it wasn’t for the little detail of having to carry the kids and their diaper bags through the mall, I think I would have gladly foregone the stroller.

That was then; I’ve gained a little wisdom since those days. One of the things I’ve discovered that a stroller is great for is protecting my children. All right, they’re too big to get in a stroller now, but they’re still great for protecting my grandchildren. Children in strollers aren’t running around the store getting lost. Not only that, they typically can’t grab any merchandise and bring it crashing to the ground. At the same time, I don’t have to watch to make sure that nobody steps on my child when they are in a stroller.

Actually, a stroller makes a pretty good all-around child protections system for taking your children out in public. In a sense, it works like a combination shell to protect them from things hitting them, and a (dare I use the word) cage, to keep them from getting to things. They can sit, strapped into their stroller, looking at the world around them, playing with a few small, attached toys, and even drink a bottle.

As a parent, okay grandparent, I have found that I can feel more secure, knowing that my child is protected wherever I go. Now, that doesn’t mean I can walk off and leave them in the stroller, I obviously have to bring the stroller and the child it contains with me, wherever I go. But, you know, the hassle is actually worth it.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: , ,

Does Your Child Need a Cell Phone?

Have you noticed how cell phones have become one of the modern status symbols? The fancier the phone, with more apps, whistles and bells, means the owner must be more important as well. Not only is this happening with us as adults, but with our kids as well. It seems like every month the average age for having a cell phone drops.

Many parents try and put off buying their child a cell phone for as long as possible. Understandably, they don’t want their children spending the whole day texting their friends, instead of doing their schoolwork. They want to, and should, control their children’s access to the telephone; who they call, how much they talk, and when they talk as well.

With some of the phones designed especially for kids, parents can let their children have a phone, and control how it’s used as well. The control comes in the form of programming the numbers that the child can speed-dial. If the parent doesn’t program the number in, the child can’t call them. On the other hand, they can call the people who the parents want to allow them access to call; people such as grandparents, teachers, siblings and most important the parents themselves.

This can be a great aid when going shopping with your kids. Typically, it’s almost impossible to keep a family together in the mall, or even a large department store. Your kids don’t want to stay there with you, while you’re trying on shoes.

Okay, so if they go running off in the mall, how do you find them again? Simple, call them on their cell phone. I’m not saying you should get them a cell phone for them, but for your convenience. It gives you are ready, easy way of maintaining contact with your children, and making sure that they aren’t getting in trouble.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: , ,

Your Child’s Dog & Bodyguard

I don’t know about you, but I think society has gotten to the point where it seems as if every child needs a personal bodyguard. While I’m sure there are a few multi-millionaires out there who gladly pay the price for someone to guard their children, I’m also sure that you can I can’t afford that luxury. We need an affordable option in child protection.

Actually, in many cases, we have that affordable option right there in our homes and don’t even realize it. Dogs are natural bodyguards; they’re territorial, protective, social creatures, who readily adopt your family as their own. As such, if there is any danger to a member of your family, they are ready and willing to jump into the breach and protect your family.

This is especially true when it comes to the one person who that dog decides is “his person.” If you’ve been around dogs, you’ve seen this; as puppies they pick one person, and that’s the one they connect to. That’s the one they always try and be with, the one they try and play with, and the one they get the most excited to see when that person comes home.

For dogs to be the best possible protectors for our children, each child needs its own dog. That dog should be brought into the home as a puppy, and immediately put together with that child. The child should be the one who feeds it, takes care of it, plays with it, and even sleeps with it. In fact, the more time the child can spend with “their dog” the better, causing the bond between child and dog, which causes that dog to be your child’s bodyguard.

I’m not saying you need a large, mean dog either. While a large dog can do a better job of attacking an assailant, any dog can set up a pretty good alarm. The alarm, more than the attack, can be your child’s protection. People naturally turn to see a barking dog, and that attention is the last thing any assailant wants to have.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: , ,

Children’s ID Cards

Back when I was a kid, we didn’t have school ID cards. In fact, I think the first ID card I received was my driver’s license. Oh, we wanted to have one, because that would make us look like we were important, but we didn’t have computers which we could make them on, so we had to do without.

Leaving the kids point of view aside and looking at it from my point of view as a parent, I like the idea of my children, especially my small children having some sort of identification. Kids get lost sometimes, whether because they get off at the wrong bus stop, make a wrong turn, or decide they’re going to run away from home. A child’s world isn’t really all that big, and once they step outside of the part they know, they’re lost.

It used to be that children would be taught their address and phone number by their parents. But, c’mon, we’re in the information age, everyone uses cell phone; who bothers to learn phone numbers anymore? We just program them into our phones, and put them on a speed dial.

Okay, that works, as long as everything works, and of course nobody loses their phone. But, what about a child, who manages to get lost, and doesn’t have a phone with them. How do they find their way home again? You see, that’s where I think the idea of having a child ID card really pays off. Your child doesn’t need to have your address and phone number memorized, which they might easily forget for a moment by being rattled, that information is on their ID.

Company’s who provide these cards, also provide fingerprinting and home DNA sample kits along with the cards. That way, if your child should happen to be one of the thousands per year who get kidnapped, the police have something they can use to properly identify your child. Extra security for your children, you know, you can never get enough of it.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: , ,

Keep Track of Your Teen with GPS

GPS navigation solution running on a smartphon...

Image via Wikipedia

Like any parent who has teens, I regularly wonder where mine are. Now that they’re in college, it’s gotten worse. I generally get to see my kids for a few minutes in the morning, and then don’t see them again until late at night. Between those times, their days are filled with school, work and friends.

I think I’ve done a good job raising my kids. They are mostly obedient, usually call to tell me where they are and where they’re going, and actually do their homework. But that doesn’t keep me from wondering if they’re always where they say they are. I’m not so old that I don’t remember how much we used to try and fool our parents when I was a teen.

A new application of GPS technology can put an end to this worry. These units, which mount on your kid’s car, regularly update you as to their location. With the online application that is part of the service, you can easily program locations that your child is supposed to be at, and locations where they aren’t supposed to be. The moment they cross one of those “fences” you hear about it. As an added bonus, you get notified every time your child exceeds the speed limit. Ha, who needs cops giving our tickets, when parents are watching?

While I’m sure there’s going to be a great outcry, from the youth of our country, about how these devices are stealing their liberty, I think it’s a great idea. Where did our youth get the idea that liberty meant hiding things from their parents anyway? As responsible parents, we should know what our children are doing, where they are going, and who they are with. These devices give us the opportunity to keep tabs on our kids, so we can help them avoid many of the pitfalls of growing up.’

To take advantage of this service requires buying the GPS device, which is installed in a hidden location on the car, and pay a monthly fee. While that might seem a little steep, what’s your peace of mind worth?

Filed Under: Software, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Recognizing the Signs of Gaming Addiction

Games like World of Warcraft, first person shooter games, and even Wii and Xbox games can be very fun and exciting! After a long day at work or school, it can be nice to come home and relax in front of the computer and play a few games. But how do you know when playing a few games turns into a problem? The truth is, these types of games are a lot of fun – they are also very addicting. Just like drugs and alcohol, a person can become addicted to online gaming. If you have some gamers in your house, here are the signs for recognizing a gaming addiction.

1. Desire to be alone. If you start to notice that the person playing the game has no desire to be with friends or family, there would be a problem. Often, those addicted to games will want to be alone and refuse to socialize with people in real life situations.

2. Financial crisis. If the gaming addiction is a problem with gambling, you may notice that your loved one is often in a financial crisis. Online gambling can be extremely hard to spot, as a person does all of their gaming online, instead of running off to a casino. However, it’s just as dangerous to gamble online as it is in a casino.

3. No longer enjoys other activities. If your once social child or friend now never wants to go out with other people, this could be a sign of addiction. Gamers want to “conquer” the next level and often become obsessed with the game, caring more about the computer than people.

If you suspect someone in your life is addicted to gaming, there is help. A great place to start is Rehab-international.org. You can find many helpful resources to deal with the gaming addiction in your life.

Filed Under: Expert Advice, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

GPS Tracking Systems for Kids

I remember when the GPS system was first launched. It really wasn’t all that many years ago. With it, one who had the right kind of device could never get lost. Their GPS would tell them where they were, down to a few yards. Of course, those first units were a little expensive, rather bulky, and somewhat limited by today’s standards.

Who would have known back then what would be done with that technology. Now, anyone can place a “bug” on somebody, and track them from here to Timbuktu. While most of us don’t have much need to play James Bond, and track the bad guy across the world, we do have one thing, which is highly valuable, that we need to keep track of… our kids.

Child kidnapping for profit and other reasons is still going on in the world today. There is even a market for kidnapped white children, to be sold in other countries. While the odds are against your child becoming a victim of this type of crime, the possibility does exist.

One of the newest applications of GPS technology is specifically for keeping track of our kids. With it, a device which can be as small as a postage stamp, regularly calculates your child’s position, down to a few yards, and transmits it to the GPS service company which provided the device. You can access this information at any time to see where your kids are. Are they late coming home from school? Check on the Internet, and find that your child stopped off at a friend’s house. More importantly, if they don’t come home, the police can track on the same device, and see where your child is.

Slightly more sophisticated devices include a panic button for your child to use, in order to call for help. Both you and the service company will be instantly informed when your child hits that panic button, and informed of where they are. The company immediately contacts the police, giving them an exact location on your child. That’s enough to give many parents peace of mind.

Filed Under: Parenting, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Helping Your Child Pick After School Activities

After school activities are important for children.  They can help your child work on social skills, make new friends and learn a new talent.  Make sure to guide your child to choose the best after school activities for them.

Don’t Relive Your Childhood

Just because you were the head cheerleader or a star soccer player doesn’t mean that your child has to be.  Don’t try to have a second chance at your own childhood through your child.  Children like to please their parents.  Don’t show any signs of disappointment if your child wants to do a different activity than the one you choose at their age.

Look at Your Child’s Strengths

Look at what makes your child happy and what natural talents that they have.  If they are very coordinated, they may make a great soccer player or hockey player.  If they are very fast they may be good on the track team or basketball team.  If they are creative enroll them in an art class or acting troop.

Know When Enough is Enough

One activity per season is enough for the average child.  Don’t force your child to be in six different activities at once.  This will put them on a path to be a constant over achiever and will begin to stress them out as they get into their teen years.  It is also hard on the family to coordinate this many drop offs and pick ups, dinner time and activities for other children.

Don’t Discourage

If your child wants to try an activity you think they will not be good at, don’t forbid them just to keep their feelings safe.  There are many people not born with a natural skill who are great learners.  Your child may excel after proper coaching and training.  It is also good to learn at a young age what you like and don’t like.  Maybe after a few practices or meetings your child will see that the activity is not for them.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With:

Over-scheduling Our Kids

We all want the very best for our children.  We want them to have the best chance to have a great life.  We want them to have the advantages we never had. But are we serving the best futures for our children by scheduling them for too many activities? That is a question parent’s are beginning to ask.

When you have several children in several activities each week, it can feel like an unending treadmill:  school, chores, homework, dance lesson, karate lessons, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts,  basketball, baseball, tutoring and piano lessons.  As a parent, you’re exhausted.  As a child, you’re burnt out.

Psychologists tell us that children need down time, just like parents, maybe more so.  Children need to know how to entertain themselves.  Over-scheduling can dampen a child’s creativity and reduce the child’s ability to become self-reliant.  So if you think you may be over-scheduling your child here are few Dos and Don’ts to get your child’s schedule back into balance.

Do

  • Limit your child to one or two organized outside activities, such as dance lessons, basketball, or scouting.
  • Let the child choose what activities to keep and what activities they are willing to give up.
  • Do schedule family time. Experts agree that regular family time increases a child’s self-esteem and emotional balance.

Don’t

  • Give up your regular date time with your spouse to add activities for your children.  Children are more apt to form healthy happy relationships in adulthood, when they see it modeled in their home.
  • Give in to a sense of guilt or competition, if other parents in your social group are scheduling more activities for their children.

The truth is, that no amount of money, no secret combination of classes, skills, and knowledge, will ensure that our child will attain perfect happiness forever after.  It is an ideal that doesn’t exist. What we can give every child is a solid foundation in themselves and unending love.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: ,
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