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Julie & Kevin - More4kids Inc.
"More4kids, because kids don't come with instructions"
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This can be a very controversial topic for parents. However, taken in moderation, and monitored properly, children can benefit and even learn from online games. There are many different online games for kids. For several years, parents have frowned upon the games that are available to their children. However, after many conclusive studies on gaming and children, researchers have established that online gaming may be beneficial (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/07/study-online-ga.html). The benefits range from developing social skills in the virtual environment, increasing the ability of the child to successfully maneuver around and operate a computer, increasing emotional intellect, and assisting in the academic endeavors of the child. Here, you will learn about online games for kids who are productive, and educational.
READ More on Benefits of Online Games for Kids
As a parent one of the most nerve racking experiences we have to do is find a reliable and trustworthy babysitter. Someone that we can believe will do a good job taking care of our child or children whether it is for a few hours on an as needed basis or someone the is going to care for them daily while we are working.
Here we are going to offer a number of tips for you to help you interview a potential babysitter. I recommend asking these questions whether you are looking at hiring a teenager or an adult.
First, do a prescreening call prior to setting up an interview with the potential babysitter. During this prescreening phone call you want to ask the following questions when interviewing a potential babysitter:
READ More on Tips for Interviewing a Babysitter
Filed under Child Care, Child Safety by More4kids
The alarm clock on the left is an example of a hidden Nanny Cam.
It is every parents nightmare. Police in Cherokee Country, GA say parents caught Nanny abusing their 13th month old child. In recent news, a woman who was hired through a national childcare service from the internet was discovered to be abusive towards a child of just a little over one year old that she was caring for. The family that employed this woman installed nanny cams once they began to notice behavioral changes in their child. The first day, in which the woman cared for the child under the supervision of the nanny cams, she was caught being abusive. The evidence portrays this individual slapping the young child in the face, pushing the child, and even pinching! Should you get a nanny cam? Stories like this seem to suggest “yes”.
You can read more of this story by visiting the following link: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14938393/detail.html . Reading this story sent mixed emotions through me. I felt anger, sadness, and shock all at the same time. Having small kids myself made this story really touch home. The rest of this report will discuss signs of child abuse and questions you should ask your Nanny or babysitter before you hire them.
READ More on Should You Get A Nanny Cam?
Filed under Child Safety, News by More4kids
Best Websites for Parents
Parenting can be a tough job, and most of us parents are grateful for all the help and advice we can get. How lucky are we to have the internet as a parenting resource in addition to our friends, family, books, and other helps! But the internet can be a little overwhelming too. Google “parenting” and you get 76,600,000 hits. Which websites have the information you need? Below are links to some of the best parenting websites out there. Here are our top picks. As we find or hear about more great ones we will add it to the list, so stop back. Now here is the list: READ More on Top Parenting Websites
"Being Sneaky"
By Julie Baumgardner
A young lady told her parents she was going to the movies with friends. When asked what movie they were going to see, she promptly told her parents one title knowing that she intended to view an R rated movie, which would be unacceptable to her parents. She says she will never forget the moment when someone sat down next to her in the movie theater…it was her father!
Another teen’s parents specifically told her she could not have a space on facebook.com or myspace.com. Over time her parents suspected she had a space. After being confronted, she confessed, but felt justified in her actions because “everyone else is doing it.”
Some would say this is typical behavior for teens and just part of growing up. But in a world with so much uncertainty, how much room should parents give their children?
READ More on Teaching Teens Accountability and Responsibility
My 9 year-old daughter recently informed me that summer was fast approaching, as if I wasn’t aware of the change of seasons around me. Rather than asking me what we had planned for this summer, she informed me that plans were underway with her “summer friends” as she calls them – a group of girls she sees exclusively at camp when school’s out. For the last two years, they’ve attended the same day camps and have had a blast. Summer has become a treasured time for them to build on their friendships while trying their hand at a new activity each year.READ More on Summer Camp 101: How to Select the Perfect Camp for Your Child
Filed under Activities, Family by More4kids
Welcome to the 47th Carnival of Family Life. Our family here at More4kids is very happy to be the host this week. More4kids is proud to host this weeks carnival. Everyone is in for a special treat if you have not experienced a blog carnival before. The Carnival of Family Life is where people share their thoughts, stories and experiences on Family, Spouse, Children, Kids, Pets, Mom, Dad, or just about anything family related. This weeks Carnival is informative, funny and inspiring. In fact it is one of the biggest ones so far and is becoming more and more popular. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this weeks festivities!
Kate Baggott presents Read My Blog for Charity: Mothering Sunday to Mothers’ Day posted at Babylune. Mothering Sunday in the UK was March 18th. Mothers' Day in the US and Canada is May 13th. Between the feasts, Babylune is hosting a charity campaign to benefit mothers. For every 1000 page views served up between March 18th and May 13th, $1 goes to one of three charities as chosen by voters in the poll.
Family Stories
MyBestInvest presents I'm a c-list invite, but I'll take it posted at My Best Investments. This is a touching story where a preschool daughter invites her daddy as her special guest.
Jenny Blackburn presents The Master Negotiator posted at Absolutely Bananas. Jenny comments that the antics of her 3-year old son either makes her either want to laugh…..or cry!
Rachel Starr Thomson presents The Blessing of Family posted at Inklings. Homeschool graduate and author Rachel writes on being a product of "generational blessings and generational grace." With Easter coming up we should all be grateful for the Family we have.
Laura presents a goodbye posted at Adventures in Juggling. Story of a growing family finally retiring their bunk bed which served them well and was full of memories.
Jennifer presents Food Fight! posted at Parenting Toddlers. Life happens, and Jennifer just reminded me what I have to look forward to as my youngest son gets older!
Karen Shanley presents I've Created a Monster posted at Karen Shanley: Author, Mom, Dog Nut. Great job Karen on raising your daughter to truely appreciate healthy food!
Karen presents pull over posted at Lion and Magic Boy. This story reminded me how sick I used to get during car rides. I hope my kids don't take after their daddy.
Stephanie presents The Stubborn Gene Dominates posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood. Its funny when we look at our children and some of the traits we see in them. it is also kind of scary when we see those traits in ourselves! However, as Stephanie points out, even someone with a very strong will can do a lot of good if pointed in the right direction. Thankyou for pointing this out.
Summer M presents Boys, like plants, need sunshine and dirt to grow posted at Wired For Noise. Summer at Wired For Noise talks about her son's new gardening set and how happy she is that she can still be his positive influence in Boys, like plants, need sunshine and dirt to grow.
Childrens Crafts and Activities
KevinL presents She's Crafty posted at Weekends With Dad. Great idea. I did not know that Michaels had a kids craft program. I will need to check out local store. Thankyou for sharing.
Lori from FunPlaydates presents Global Moms - What Life is Like for Kids in Hawaii. Ever wonder what it might be like for a child growing up in Hawaii? Then you want to read this for Loris perspective.
Tips, Advice and Wisdom
Dr. Hal presents North Star Mental Fitness Blog: Thank You for Giving Me Back My Parents! posted at North Star Mental Fitness Blog. Thankyou Dr. Hal. Your story has pointed out how important it is to make sure our children know how much we really love them. I truely enjoyed reading this article.
Hueina Su presents Take Time for Friendships posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul. This is wonderful advice. As parents we can become so wrapped up in our kids and their activities we may forget or neglict some of our friends we have known for years. While they may understand, we all need a balance in our lives and don't want to lose those lifelong connections.
Lisa presents Introducing Your New Baby to Your First Babies posted at Let's Talk Babies. So how will your pet react to your new baby? Lisa offers some great advice. I especially like when she said to….. well you will have to read her article.
Megan Bayliss presents Teaching Emotional Intelligence for Personal Safety and Clear Communication posted at Child protection: serious business.. Megan gives great advice on the importance of being able to communicate their feelings and emotions.
Chef Tom presents How To Make Quick & Easy Meals For Your Family | Chef Tom Cooks ! posted at Chef Tom Cooks - Recipe Blog. Great article on how a little preparation and sharing of responsibility can help your family make the most of the family meal, and make it less of a chore.
Christopher Pepper presents Values Check posted at Daddy Dialectic. Christopher has a great list of core values he wants to instill on his child, values as a parent I also want my own children to know and appreciate. Probably the most important one is that they are loved unconditionally. Thankyou for sharing this list with everyone.
Christine presents Gardening is the Answer . . . posted at Everyday Disasters. Nice advice on the values that can be taught to a child though the simple act of helping plant a garden.
Education and Homeschooling
Megan Bayliss presents Droughts and Flooding Rains: Home School Australian Drought Relief posted at Home Schooling Aspergers.. What better way to teach kids about the environment than incorporating real life examples into your homeschool lesson plans? Whether or not you are a parent of a homeschooler you will want to read this.
Muse presents Never too young! posted at me-ander. Muse points out kids are never too young to start learning.
Dana presents Simple pleasures posted at Principled Discovery I loved the end of this story where Dana says after an hour of her daughter working through a book, she paused and looked at her and said: "Mommy, I love reading. I just want to read and read. Can we just read today?" .
Julee presents Homekeeping Tuesday posted at Homeschool Daze. Julee shares her thoughts on creating her own homeschooling curriculum.
Sports and Kids Activities
Summer presents We love baseball! posted at Wired For Noise. Thanx for reminding us spring is almost here. In fact down here in Tennessee we are seeing the 70's and our kids have some serious spring fever.
Maureen presents Trinity Prep School - Considering Swimming Lessons? posted at Trinity Prep School. Great article explaining some of "Lifes" lessons that can be learned from competitive swimming.
DigtialRich presents Fatigue Fatigue posted at DigitalRichDaily. This family keeps busy!
Liz Smith presents Afterschool Program Readiness for Kids posted at Modern Sage. Liz gives her thoughts on after school programs and explains why she is not pushing her children into those programs.
The Internet and Kids
Liz Smith presents Expert Q & A: Teenage Internet Access posted at Modern Sage Online: Practical Living Blog. Thanx Liz for reminding us how important it is to let us know what our kids are doing online.
Child Safety
Our own Kailani presents Some People Shouldn’t Be Parents posted at An Island Life. In a tragic story of a father leaving his child in a car for over 90 minutes it proves that some people just have no right to be parents! You can never rant to hard on something like this!!!
We here at More4kids Parenting and Family Life would like to present some Tips for Talking to Your Kids About Strangers.
Housework and Getting Organized
Jeremy Adam Smith presents Housework vs. the Rest of Life posted at Daddy Dialectic. How many hours does your family spend on housework? I had been wondering where all the time in my families life goes until I read this article.
Mama Duck presents Using toddler energy for a cleaner house… posted at Lil Duck Duck. Great post Mama Duck. This article helps respond to Jeremy's article on how we can reclaim some of the time we spend on housework: Get our kids to help! Starting them out young not only helps with the household chores, but also helps teach responsibility.
Other Good Stuff
Karen Weideman presents How To Pay Cash for College posted at Thrifty Mommy. Some of us may have teens that are getting ready for college. Karen gives some good solid advice on how to help pay for it.
Leisa presents Black Dogs (and I don’t mean the furry kind) posted at downwiththekids.net. Leisa does a great review of the book The Optimistic Child by Martin Seligman.
Super Saver presents Upromise - Not Saving Much For Our Daughter posted at My Wealth Builder. This story makes me think about what I am doing to save for my childrens future.
Csara presents Favorite 80's movies!! posted at Baby Talkers. Were you still in high school during the 80's? What were your favorite movies as a kid? I remember most of them mentioned by Csara and many of them have brought back some good memories.
Kerri presents Mommy the Junglegym… posted at Play Library. As Mommies and Daddies our bodies really take a lot of abuse, from playing horsey to just carrying our children around, but it is all worth it as Kerri points out. I started my kids out with airplane rides and graduated to being my oldest sons pet horse, now I am seeing a chiropractor, hehe.
Jordan presents Six of one, half a dozen of the other posted at MamaBlogga. She explains that there are challenges at every age and looks forward to the time when she can talk to her son without screaming, but will goes on to say "I’ll take Hayden’s abounding (and bouncing) excitement upon seeing me every time he wakes up for as long as I can get it"
Next week's host of the Carnival of Family Lifes will be Play Library.
The Carnival of Family Life has come to a close…….Thankyou from More4kids to all our readers and all the people who submited such great articles. From our family to yours have a safe and enjoyable week!
Filed under Blog Carnival, News by More4kids
Life happens and sometimes life events are out of our control. One of the first things you think about when you are a single parent by choice (divorce, unmarried) or natural circumstances (death of a spouse), is who will care for my child or children?
There are a number of options and each has its pros and cons. Do your homework and based on your work routine, budget and the temperament of your child, choose a child care option that works with single parenting, not against it.
READ More on Child Care And The Dilemma Of Single Parenting
Filed under Child Safety, Parenting, Single Parenting by More4kids
Going to your web browser and typing in the term parenting information and you’ll get a ton of responses of every kind and color. Go to the library and look up “parenting information” in the catalog and you’ll get hundreds of books on every possible aspect of parenting. With all this information, how do you sort it out and find the parenting information you need? READ More on Where To Get Parenting Information You Need
