Parenting Blog

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jangelo

Watch What Your Kids Are Doing Online (part 2)

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gshutch.jpgThe other day, I wrote a short intro about “Web 2.0” applications, particularly blogs and social networking sites. Actually I feel like I’m preaching to the choir, since if you’re reading this, you are most probably aware of blogs and blogging. Still, it’s best to cover all our bases. A lot of people may know about the so-called new media, but are still not as vigilant about online security as they should be.

For those with kids in the adolescent to young adult ages, blogs and social networking sites can prove to be risky in terms of privacy and security. These sites, by nature, are used to share one’s experiences and identity online. Social networking sites, for instance, commonly feature personal profiles and photographs of the account owner. Blogs, meanwhile, can contain journal or diary-like entries, such as the author’s private thoughts, and what happened in the course of a day.

It’s just like taking a peek into a person’s mind, and knowing his/her thoughts, habits, problems, and other details–maybe even contact information and home addresses!

There are those who can use these information the wrong way. There may be predators, stalkers, and other people with malicious intent. And they can take advantage of the innocence of young individuals and do bad, abusive stuff online, or worse, they can bring it offline!

Next, I’ll share some tips on how to avoid being a target.

Originally posted on February 11, 2007 @ 12:01 pm

Why I Like Children’s Shows

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television.gifThose who read my personal (tech) blog would know that I’m very fond of cartoons and other children’s shows. The reason: well, some shows on television today are not only geared towards children, but they’re adult- or parent-oriented, too.

For example, when P was a toddler, she loved watching High 5, Blue’s Clues and the Backyardigans on Nickelodeon. I got to appreciate the music and the artwork in those shows. Today, my kids are more fond of the Disney Channel than other channels on cable. We get to watch Art Attack!, Mickey Mouse cartoons and other such Disney offerings. And guess what one of our favorite shows is: Kim Possible. Actually, it’s more of a teen-oriented show, because of the nature of the characters (High Schoolers).

Of course, as time goes by, TV programs grow with their audiences, so you can expect the themes to become more mature. For instance, many of the Disney shows we watch like Kim Possible, Hannah Montana and Totally Spies often discuss relationships. This is similar to other now-defunct kid-oriented shows like the late 1990s’ Lizzie McGuire and the like.

The humor is usually witty enough even for the mums and dads to really appreciate. Sometimes I tend to worry that these might already be affecting my kids in a bad way. But then again, I tell myself they’re too young to understand such things.

However, it’s always best not to just ignore the risks. As a parent, I try to keep an active role whenever we watch TV or movies, so I can adequately explain the situations being depicted in a way my kids could understand.

Originally posted on February 21, 2007 @ 8:10 pm

Why Nap Time Is Important

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bed.gifIn line with setting routines, I’d say another important part of the day is nap time. This is especially so if your kids are still toddler to preschool age. For one, they need all the sleep they can get so they can grow up big, strong and healthy.

Also, sometimes nap time is essential for us parents to keep our sanity intact!

For adults, nap time can also be called “power napping,” which is especially popular in the office setting. Getting a few minutes of rest (from 15 to 30 minutes) helps keep us alert. Or at the very least, this can help us catch up on some sleep if we don’t get enough at nights. Research tells us that 15 minutes is the optimal time for power-napping because this is the time when our brain waves reach those patterns wherein we feel most alert after waking. Too little time and we don’t get enough rest. Too much, and we would only feel sleepy and less alert.

For kids, meanwhile, they need as much sleep as they can get. The brain’s pituitary function–which tells the body to grow–only works when we’re asleep. So sleep is important, especially in those growing years.

Another very compelling reason to take naps, aside from the growth factor, is that children usually get very cranky when they’re sleepy. And cranky kids can be such a headache for parents! Believe me, I’ve had those times when both my kids missed their afternoon naps and they end up very cranky in the early evening. This can potentially spell trouble, especially if you’re looking forward to a good dinner or catching up with quality time in the evenings.

Originally posted on February 7, 2007 @ 1:02 pm

The Full Time Dad

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dad and daughter.pngMuch has been said about full-time motherhood and how great it is for moms to be able to spend their time with their kids while dad goes to work every weekday. To many mothers out there, motherhood is a full-time job. It’s actually more full-time than your regular nine-to-fiver. It’s a job 24/7, 365 days a year (add more during leap years). But what about the full-time dad?

Hello folks. I’m Angelo and I’ll be filling in for Lara while her family takes care of some pirate matters. Why all this talk about the full-time dad, you ask? I consider myself to be one.

Well, actually fatherhood is also a full-time job. And having to go to work to make a decent living for the family is considered part of that. But in my case it’s different. I work at home. That’s not your usual setup for fathers, but I do know a handful of dads who do the same.

My work and business involve going online and working on Web and content development projects. So that means I can practically work anywhere there’s a decent Internet connection. And I sometimes do work at caf�s outside of the house. But most of the time, I’m right here in my home office.

Working at home can be both rewarding and difficult, especially when you have one preschool-aged child and a toddler like I do (another one’s on the way!). Want to find out why? Watch this space. I’ll be writing about my experiences every other day here on the Parenting Blog.

Originally posted on February 1, 2007 @ 12:57 pm

Watch What Your Kids Are Doing Online (part 1)

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kidsdairy.jpgMaybe you have teen-aged kids and they’ve started blogging. Or perhaps they’re fond of social networking sites. Be sure to watch what your kids are doing, because they are potentially endangering themselves, and even your family, if they give out too much information to the public.

Sites like MySpace, Friendster, and Multiply are social networking sites that are very popular among teens and young adults (even with grade-schoolers, too, actually). These are great in that they let people connect to their friends online, set up online profiles/identities, and network with other people.

Blogs, meanwhile, are popular among teens and young adults as online diaries or journals. They are just like paper-based diaries, but they’re usually published and available for viewing by the public. Blogs make it easy to write and publish content online, since these don’t require much technical knowledge.

Some blogging services have social networking functions, and sometimes it’s the other way around. Blogs and social networking sites, therefore, can be great at keeping track of what your friends are up to.

However, there are dangers to this (we shall discuss this next).

Originally posted on February 9, 2007 @ 1:28 pm

The Importance of Routines

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preschool.pngMy wife is a preschool teacher. Along with being mom, her training in handling children makes her the authority at home when it comes to educating–and yes, disciplining–the kids. She always reminds me to follow daily routines so the kids will get used to some organization at home.

Generally, I’m a disorganized person. I’m more spur-of-the-moment rather than scheduled. I’m more adaptive rather than structured. I’m more dynamic rather than static. But of course, if it’s for the children’s good, then I would have to adjust and adopt.

Routines are important because they help instill awareness of time and enhance a child’s feeling of security, so I’m told. Routines help enhance a child’s self-confidence, especially if he or she has the opportunity to have an active role in contributing to the flow of events.

Routines don’t necessarily have to be time-based, but these can be flow- or event-based. So you don’t necessarily have to follow a strict time table, but instead you can do activities based on sequence.

I’d like to talk more about routines in the next few posts, but let me first illustrate some of the routines our family follows every day–or every weekday, at least.

More to come …

Originally posted on February 3, 2007 @ 3:57 pm