The Challenges Facing The 21st Century Parent

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If there’s one thing that every parent has had to learn the hard way, through experience, it is this - that parents are always wrong. Whatever we choose to do as parents, a friends’ parents are doing differently, or whatever we think is good advice to follow today, was scrapped by everyone else yesterday. Being a parent is hard work, and after all those childhood years resenting our own parents and vowing that we would do things so much better if only given the chance, we are now well aware that we are the very parents that we vowed we’d try not to be as children. It might well be the case that we’re not making the same mistakes as our parents, but we’re excellent at making whole rafts of new ones to make life interesting for ourselves and our children.

One aspect in particular which has worried parents today, and which was not an issue back in the days when we were children, is the advent and proliferation of computers and other technologies which allow our children to meet, interact and communicate online with people from all over the world, and to spend hours glued to a screen focussing entirely on moving bunches of pixels from one place to another in a desperate attempt to do strange things like finish the ‘Quest of The j’Graa Goblet’ or seek out Lord Krakticka to pwn him with the rest of the guildies. If this means nothing to you, then join the club - it’s a big club, with a growing number of members.

Parents aren’t idiots - we’re most of us quite capable of working a computer, typing up a letter, creating a graph and sending off some emails, but computers seem to have a whole other world built in to them that leaves many of our generation reeling at the prospect. For those of us who shred our telephone and gas bills before binning them, and always ask to see the identity card of the man standing at our doorstep wanting to read our meter, the idea of happily posting your most intimate details on a worldwide system for the entire world to see and do what they like with is awful. Whilst having friends all over the world sounds appealing, having friends we have never met and are never likely to challenges our understanding of what friends are. Just because you hang out in Doom Forest killing dwarves from the opposite faction each evening doesn’t, in our traditional book, constitute a friendship.

Then of course there are our worries and concerns regarding the dubious people online that are simply there to lure our children to some dark alley and do what they will with them. We hear the statistics and see the news stories of yet another child who met up with some stranger from the internet and was never seen again, and it’s easy to be tempted to unplug the computer and throw it on the bonfire as though tainted in some evil way.

But the truth is that it is not the computer which is dangerous, and the internet is not an enemy or something dark and subterranean that we should, or could, avoid. Every day we take many risks that could potentially endanger our lives. We drive a tonne of metal at sixty miles an hour just feet from other lumps of metal coming the other way, and accept this as perfectly normal. We stand far more chance of being killed driving on the road than we do of encountering danger on the internet. The difference is both in perception, and understanding. We perceive danger in the internet largely because of a lack of understanding, but because we understand the nature of the risks of driving, we see less danger. We wouldn’t drive on the motorway blindfolded, because we’d almost certainly be killed. Being voluntarily blinded to the risks of the internet not only increases our perception of the danger, but the actual level of risk involved.

It’s important, therefore, that we appreciate what the real risks are when using the internet, because the more we know and understand what the real risks and dangers are, the better we can help inform and advise our children. If we allow them to take advantage of the incredible technologies that surround us, but hold their hand through the learning stages, then we are all far more likely to come out the other side unscathed. If you can understand more about chat rooms, messenger clients, profiles and online games, then there will be more of a chance to chat with our children about what they are doing. We all accept, I’m sure, that we can’t ban them from living in the 21st century, and so we have to accept that, just as we had to learn the dangers of the road, which was not an issue back in our own parents’ or grandparents’ days, our children have to be taught the dangers of life on the digital highway.

In just the same way that we tell children not to talk to strangers, not to accept sweets from people they don’t know, not to go out alone, but to stay with a friend, to report anyone acting strangely, and other basics to help them stay safe when out and about in our own neighbourhoods, making sure that they realise that people they communicate with on the internet have the advantage of anonymity and can disguise themselves far more easily online than they could in real life. A 12 year old boy your child bumps into at the park is clearly exactly that - he needs no further proof to back up his claim, and is therefore probably quite safe as a friend. However, someone online who claims to be a 12 year old boy has only words to prove it, and a photo which could easily be lifted from any of the billions of sources on the internet.

A cursory look through the internet, or the shelves of your local computer retailer, you’ll see hundreds of so-called solutions. These typically lock down your computer, creating barriers and firewall, monitoring the use of the computer, logging and recording everything that takes place, and generally creating a regime of fear on the computer. But since this only generates either resentment, or curiosity within our children, the best solution really is to communicate with them. We taught them about the dangers of strangers, crossing the road, and real life - why not extend those skills to the virtual world? By having the computer somewhere visible, rather than hidden away in their bedroom, you will have a chance to see what they’re doing, talk to them about it, ask questions, and help to inform them so that they can make the decisions about the risks they take themselves. We can’t lock our children away in a safe room somewhere - but we can help to arm them with the tools they need to stay safe in the 21st century.

Sexy Halloween Costumes for the Holiday Season

Halloween may not be until October, but it is never too early to start looking for your costume. Why not try out a sexy Halloween costume this year? Instead of wearing that same old costume once again, have a little fun with your costume this time around! It’s very easy (and did I mention fun?) to find sexy costumes or even throwing your own sexy Halloween costume party.

If you’re new to the idea of wearing a sexy Halloween costume, you are probably wondering where to go to find a costume which is both sexy and fun and also is along the lines of your costume idea. You may not have any particular idea in mind yet of course, but you do want to turn heads when you go from door to door on Halloween in search of treats.

October 31st brings out the child in every adult. Choosing a costume is one of the most exciting things about Halloween. Whether you choose a traditional costume such as a pirate, ghost or vampire, Halloween is one of the most festive holidays of the year.

However, a sexy Halloween costume will get you more noticed than any other type of costume and the selection seems almost limitless. If you cannot find the sexy costume that is right for you in Halloween stores, do an online search and you will surely find what you are looking for.

There are so many options available when it comes to sexy Halloween costumes that you should not feel like you are in a rush to make a purchase. Take your time and do some shopping on the internet to find out what your options are. Sexy Halloween costumes come in a variety of styles and sizes, and the possibilities really are endless when it comes to preparing for a great night trick or treating door to door or visiting local costume parties in your area.

The majority of companies offering sexy costumes online will give a guarantee of their products, so don’t worry about being stuck with a sexy Halloween costume that turns out to be not quite right; just return it. However, you should start your shopping early as you don’t want to scramble to make a return at the last minute.

Halloween is not just for children, it is a time of year that everyone enjoys. Dressing up and going to parties is fun for the young and the young at heart. There is so much to enjoy about Halloween, and finding the right sexy costume can only enhance your experience. Edited by Hetsil Protage

Safety and Comfort is Important with Toddler Halloween Costumes

October is here before you know it always comes faster than we expect and you know what that means: Halloween will be here in no time. So now is the time that you need to start looking and purchase a toddler Halloween costume so that you do not have to worry about rushing, waiting in line and settling for a costume you didn’t really want. By shopping ahead of time you don’t have to worry about having a second rate costume because it ensures that you and your little one can enjoy the holiday comfortably. You don’t get many chances to pick out your baby’s costume, because before too long they know what Halloween is and they have their own costume ideas. Usually they will want to have a favorite character from a book, cartoon, TV show or movie. It doesn’t even matter that they don’t understand what Halloween is; they will surely have a good time dressing up and trick-or-treating.

Let your toddler get into the Halloween spirit by helping them choose from appropriate toddler costumes. When choosing a toddler Halloween costume, it is vital for you to go simple because your toddler will not be able to deal with something more complex, or a costume that has buckles, zippers, a lot of warmth or heavy parts.

Remember that this will be a big holiday for your little one and your main objective it to be sure that your toddler Halloween costume will be comfortable and safe. Since you will be out walking around for a bit, you do not want an irritated or crying toddler that wants nothing more than to be out of the costume.

When it comes to toddler costumes for the real small child, it may actually be ideal to hand make some of the costume’s elements just for safety and peace of mind. Otherwise, you can probably purchase a store bought toddler Halloween costume, as there are a variety of costume makers out there who design costumes specifically with safety and comfort in mind. Toddler Halloween costumes are available in a variety of sizes, materials and styles, which means there is something for every toddler no matter what he or she may happen to be into.

With so many styles and sizes to choose from, you can be sure to find something for even the pickiest of toddlers. If you have a son then you can go with such costumes as a pirate, Dracula, goblin or even a pumpkin. If you have a daughter she may want to be a pretty princess, a cheerleader, a girl pirate or even an angel.

To make sure that you have the greatest selection to choose form when it comes to trick-or-treating on Halloween it is important that you start looking for your costume early, no matter what type of costume it is. Even if you get it early, you can let your little one wear the costume before Halloween to make sure that he or she is used to and likes to wear it. This makes it much easier when Halloween actually comes and your toddler needs to put on the costume.

You want to be sure to make this a safe and fun filed adventure for your toddler. Try to steer clear of the scary houses as this can turn your toddler off of Halloween and make it a horrible experience for him or her. Be sure to take a flash light with you and a fun sack for your toddler to keep their treats and prizes in. Watch your toddler for signs of irritability so that you will know when to call it a night. Your toddler will last much longer with toddler costumes that allow them freedom to move around without getting over heated. Edited by Hetsil Protage

Cute Baby Halloween Costumes & Trick or Treating Infant Costumes

Halloween is a very exciting holiday that is celebrated every year at the end of October, so when it comes to celebrating Halloween whether it is by trick-or-treating or throwing a Halloween party, you will want to have the perfect costume for your child. Halloween allows family and friends to dress up in the best costumes and have fun spending time together and collecting candy. This is the only holiday where you’ll encounter warlocks and witches goblins and ghosts and even a few angels and devils, all walking together on the same streets.

Before you even realize it Halloween is upon you, so you will find it best to plan ahead and decide what kind of costume you want your infant to wear for Halloween. You will find that there is a larger available selection of baby Halloween costumes when you shop early. It is crazy to try and find a costume for you baby at the last minute, especially when it is the baby’s first Halloween and the choices are already limited.

No matter whether you have a baby boy or a baby girl, you can be sure to find a pleasant selection of infant Halloween costumes. Keep in mind, the sooner you shop the better your choices are and the more pleased you will be with the outcome. Halloween has become a tradition amongst most families to try to have the cutest or scariest of costumes when going door to door for trick-or-treating. Even though you know your baby will not be eating the trick or treat candy that he or she gets, you will still have a wonderful time showing off the perfect baby Halloween costume.

Your choices in infant Halloween costumes are virtually limitless. You can go with a scary mummy to an adorable pumpkin, there is no end to the ideas you can come up with. Many children enjoy dressing up as their favorite cartoon characters were others prefer to have a scary effect. When dressing a baby, most parents go for adorable or cute and cuddly.

You are sure to be able to find cute pea pod costume, a prince or princess costume or even a bumblebee costumes. Some people like to be a little more elaborate and decide to dress their baby up as a pretty butterfly or the original yet cute jack-o’-lantern. Dressing up in a costume has been around for many years and is a tradition among many families. No matter what your Halloween plans are, you can have a costume that is safe as well as comfortable for your baby. This way, everyone is able to enjoy the Halloween festivities.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, you can still enjoy Halloween. The fun part of it is getting to dress up and look your cutest or your scariest. One of the great things for parents when dressing up a baby is that they get to choose the adorable costume. It helps parents to feel like a kid again regardless of what their ages is.

So if you are looking for cute and adorable, like a fairy or a princess, or mean and scary like demons and mummies, there are plenty of infant Halloween costumes for you to choose from to bring your smallest wee ones in on the exciting and festive Halloween action. Edited by Hetsil Protage

Your Sexy Halloween Costumes Choices

Halloween may not be until October, but it is never too early to start looking for your costume. Why not try out a sexy Halloween costume this year? Instead of wearing that same old costume once again, have a little fun with your costume this time around! It’s very easy (and did I mention fun?) to find sexy costumes or even throwing your own sexy Halloween costume party.

Halloween costumes are as different as the people who wear them. Many choose the traditional costumes, however there are some who want to “WOW” other party goers and will opt to wear a sexy Halloween costume. Finding a sexy Halloween costume is not difficult; just about every store that sells Halloween costumes has a special section just for adults.

October 31st brings out the child in every adult. Choosing a costume is one of the most exciting things about Halloween. Whether you choose a traditional costume such as a pirate, ghost or vampire, Halloween is one of the most festive holidays of the year.

There are even costumes that are available specifically to accommodate couples by offering counterpart sexy costumes, where the costume for the men and the costume for the women both coordinate in some way without detracting from their sexy appearance. For example, while the men may dress up like demons or devils, the women can dress up like angels and the sexy costumes will coordinate together well. This works for a variety of different costuming options including theatrical costumes, traditional or historical costumes, and many more.

There are a lot of choices for you when shopping for sexy Halloween costumes, so don’t rush! Shop around online and browse through all of your options. There’s a sexy Halloween costume for everyone, you’ll find that perfect sexy costume if you do your research - and then you can be a big hit at a costume party or even trick or treating!

Most online retailers for sexy costumes offer a guarantee so if you buy your costume online and are not pleased with it, you can always return it. This is an excellent reason for you to stop early ahead of time, so you have time to change your mind or to make a return because of a size or quality issue.

Any costume can become a sexy Halloween costume if you try hard enough to make it unique. You can easily find sexy ghosts, goblins, vampires, pirates, fairies, and a variety of other unique costume options that offer a level of sexual appeal to them. If you are looking for sexy costumes, you should know that the possibilities are endless and that there are plenty of choices out there for you to choose from. Shop ahead of time and make good use of the internet to get the best of what sexy Halloween costumes have to offer you. Edited by Hetsil Protage

Beware of Scholarship Scams

It happens every year. High school seniors and their parents are defrauded by scholarship scammers; people who promise to help them land scholarships and financial aid they wouldn’t otherwise receive.

One financial aid organization believes these scammers defraud families out of more than $100 million dollars a year.

Because college costs scare nearly all of us, and because many people do not realize that there is money available to help them send their children to college, these scammers have found it very easy to find and exploit their victims.

First, families receive a letter from an organization with a name designed to sound like it was founded to help the families of college-bound students.

The letter doesn’t look like typical junk mail. The logo often looks like that of an Ivy League college, and the letterhead and paper are generally on fairly high quality paper. Like the con men behind them, the promotional materials look credible.

The letters generally start by appealing to fearby talking about the high cost of college.

Once they have stated the problem…paying for college…they assure you they can provide the solution. They may offer to “teach you the secrets of financial aid”, “locate millions of dollars in unused scholarships”, or otherwise help you take advantage of their special expertise.

What all the letters have in common is that they invite families to a free seminar, often at a local hotel. Because the letter offers the hope of extra financial aid, and because the evening is free, many families accept the invitation. Thats mistake number two.

The gathering, whatever it is called, is a well rehearsed sales pitch. The gist…you need money, we can help you get it. And, nowhere do you get the one piece of information you need most…everything of value these people can offer you is available elsewhere, for free.

The initial presentation is followed by an individual meeting with a high pressure salesperson who uses a well-formulated approach…like those of the very worst car salespersons…developed to collect up to $2,000 and a signed contract from families before they have had too much time to think about it.

Don’t be the victim of financial aid con men (and women). There are lots of good websites offering free scholarship searches and financial aid advice. And, high school counselors and college financial aid counselors will gladly give you advice and answer your questions. There is no need to turn elsewhere.

Cute Baby Halloween Costumes & Trick or Treating Infant Costumes

Halloween is a very exciting holiday that is celebrated every year at the end of October, so when it comes to celebrating Halloween whether it is by trick-or-treating or throwing a Halloween party, you will want to have the perfect costume for your child. Halloween allows family and friends to dress up in the best costumes and have fun spending time together and collecting candy. This is the only holiday where you’ll encounter warlocks and witches goblins and ghosts and even a few angels and devils, all walking together on the same streets.

October comes around rather quick so it can help to plan ahead of time when looking for infant Halloween costumes. By shopping early for the perfect baby Halloween costume, you will ensure that you have a large variety to choose from. There is nothing worse than trying to find a costume at the last minute that will be perfect for your baby’s first Halloween.

No matter whether you have a baby boy or a baby girl, you can be sure to find a pleasant selection of infant Halloween costumes. Keep in mind, the sooner you shop the better your choices are and the more pleased you will be with the outcome. Halloween has become a tradition amongst most families to try to have the cutest or scariest of costumes when going door to door for trick-or-treating. Even though you know your baby will not be eating the trick or treat candy that he or she gets, you will still have a wonderful time showing off the perfect baby Halloween costume.

Your choices in infant Halloween costumes are virtually limitless. You can go with a scary mummy to an adorable pumpkin, there is no end to the ideas you can come up with. Many children enjoy dressing up as their favorite cartoon characters were others prefer to have a scary effect. When dressing a baby, most parents go for adorable or cute and cuddly.

You are sure to be able to find cute pea pod costume, a prince or princess costume or even a bumblebee costumes. Some people like to be a little more elaborate and decide to dress their baby up as a pretty butterfly or the original yet cute jack-o’-lantern. Dressing up in a costume has been around for many years and is a tradition among many families. No matter what your Halloween plans are, you can have a costume that is safe as well as comfortable for your baby. This way, everyone is able to enjoy the Halloween festivities.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, you can still enjoy Halloween. The fun part of it is getting to dress up and look your cutest or your scariest. One of the great things for parents when dressing up a baby is that they get to choose the adorable costume. It helps parents to feel like a kid again regardless of what their ages is.

So if you are looking for cute and adorable, like a fairy or a princess, or mean and scary like demons and mummies, there are plenty of infant Halloween costumes for you to choose from to bring your smallest wee ones in on the exciting and festive Halloween action. Edited by Hetsil Protage

Babysitters Needed: Things You Should Find Out About Sitters

It may be your first time thinking of having babysitters needed signs. If you’re worried that no one would respond, you shouldn’t be. Many people would grab the opportunity to baby sit for the extra cash. Your real problem would be finding the right babysitter for your kids. Here are five things that can help you determine if someone can be trusted with your children.

Experience as Nanny - Find out how long an applicant has been babysitting. If you have small kids, a lot of kids or children who are quite a handful, you would want to have an experienced sitter. On the other hand, you may settle for a neophyte sitter if you have a kid who is already past five years old.

Will your sitter match your kids’ personality? You should also be interested in the age preference of a particular sitter. Not everyone for example would be comfortable and skilled enough with taking care of infants. It is important that the age of your kids fall within the level of experience and preference of your sitter.

References - If there are babysitters needed in your area, she may have already worked for others. In this case, she should at least be able to present you with some references. Give her references a call and find out how well she has baby sat for others. One thing you should remember though is that it is your sitter who is supplying the references. She would naturally forward the names of people who she thinks will give her a positive feedback. You shouldn’t rely entirely on references.

Background Information - You should look for background information on your applicants. You don’t want a sex offender, criminal or former drunk driver minding your kids. This may be a little tricky to look into. No one who wants to desperately have a job would volunteer damaging information about herself. You could ask your applicant to present some clearances or formal recommendations that would vouch for her clean personal background.

How She Handles Kids - She may have a lot of experience handling kids of all ages. This doesn’t mean though that she has the exact same methods as yours when handling kids. She may not keep the same policies that you keep with your kids. Before you accept a sitter, make sure that you ask her about her methods. How would she handle kids in specific situations? What is her usual response when a child is being difficult? If she has different ways of handling kids, be sure to tell her how you would want things to be handled.

The Rate - One crucial point that you shouldn’t miss is her rate. You can’t expect a sitter to accept your offer just because she wants to have a job. There are many other families looking for sitters. If your rate isn’t acceptable to her, she can look for other families to sit for. Many things can influence the rate such as sitter experience and amount of work to be done. Be sure to talk to your sitter and negotiate for an acceptable rate.

Baby Photo Contests: Get the Attention Your Baby Deserves

Getting your baby’s foot in the door into a lucrative career in front of a television camera, a magazine cover, or the runways of New York, Milan and Paris, could begin with the simple act of enter your precious one in a baby photo contest. There is no easier way to gain exposure and get noticed by the big wigs in television, magazines and modeling agencies.

So, where do you begin to get this notice, this exposure? Why, with photos, of course. I am sure you have taken tons of them of your baby since he or she were born, right? If not (and I doubt if you hadn’t), then grab the digital camera, or borrow one, and snap away, amassing a few good ones of your future star. Once you have photos that would blow them away at the baby photo contests, you are ready for the next step.

Your next step in guiding the future career path of your darling little angel is to find out where to use your chosen baby photos. Where to get the maximum exposure that will get the attention of the executives of television, magazine and modeling agencies, so that you can start getting those casting calls pouring in. An argument here could be produced concerning whether to enter your baby picture in a free photo contest, or one where you need to pay a fee. In my humble opinion, that decision should be based solely upon your objectives. If you are after career exposure for your baby, then free photo contest is the way to go. However, if you are after career exposure and you’d like to pick up some nice prizes along the way, then those contests that you have to pay a fee to enter most often carry the best prizes.

I mentioned above to look online to find the baby photo contests in which to enter you child’s baby pictures, but it does not have to be online photo contests only. Look in your newspaper to see if there are any locally sponsored events, such as one’s that are supported by talent or modeling agencies. This is a great way to get your foot in the door, and get the needed noticing necessary to…well, to get noticed.

When that inevitable day arrives, and your baby’s picture becomes a photo contest winner, the rest is a piece of cake. Just do it again. Enter another contest for exposure. Then do it again. Rinse and repeat. With enough wins under your belt, you are assured notice by the top brass in television, magazines and modeling agencies. Then, there is nothing left to say but, “A star is born!”

As a side note, and a good reason to not overlook contests where you have to pay a fee to register, paid contests usually have good cash prizes. With these cash prizes, you can set up a college fund for your baby, should the aspirations of stardom fade to black by college age. You would be all set should this happen.

And another thing, just knowing that you have the cutest baby the world over, doesn’t mean the rest of the world knows this. The thing to do then would be to prove it, by parading your precious darling in front of the photo contests all over the world. Let them eat cake, those parents who lose! They’re just jealous, right?

But the biggest advice of all that I can give to you regarding entering baby photo contests is this: have fun, please. Don’t stress out and worry and cause your baby any anxiety. The number one purpose of baby photo contests is entertainment: for you, your baby, the other contestants and their parents, and all others involved. So treat it as such and you will never regret it.

Keep Your Kids Safe on the World Wide Web

Are you wondering how to make the Internet safe for your kids? You want them to use the Internet for research, but you don’t want them to find objectionable sites or emails.

Maybe you are hoping to buy a program for your computer that blocks objectionable sites, but will allow them to do the research you want them to do.

Here’s the bad news: filtering programs can’t do the job by themselves. NentNanny and other applications like it search for certain words in the Web site your child is clicking on. Simple words like “belly” can be targets for blocking, causing frustration, while research on “breast cancer” may be impossible.

But these word-blocking solutions are no good at all at blocking objectionable photo sites that have no objectionable words attached. Ask me how I know? My teenage son figured it out. He just went to Google Images and started looking. Your son could do that too. And the objectionable sites he found weren’t blocked by NetNanny, which was turned on.

The software could not have detected the objectionable photos, since NetNanny and similar software look for objectionable words. They are not able to evaluate pictures.

The next question is, “What’s a parent to do?”

* Keep your computers where you can monitor what the kids are doing. Put them in the kitchen or wherever YOU are.

*Have a login password that only the adults know. The kid has to have permission, and oversight, to use the computer.

*Require the child to log off when he is done. Now the password is required for the next session.

*Use filtering software. It may help.

*Make sure the kids know your expectations and the consequences for disobeying.

*If a child is just using a word processor or some other local program, disconnect the Internet cable.

*Require younger children to use your email address. This will allow you to protect them from vicious spam. As they get older, give teens their own email address, but make sure they give it out only to friends.

Following these precautions will help you keep your kids safe, and will teach your teenagers good habits for avoiding temptations.