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One Laptop Per Child Becomes Reality |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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It began as a dream more than 40 years ago, and today Nicholas Negroponte's vision of providing affordable laptops to children all over the world is moving closer to reality. After years of research, prototypes and collaboration, the non-profit organization One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) begins mass production of a laptop that has the potential to provide children all over the globe with a critical tool to the world -- the Internet. The machines will allow impoverished children all over the world to have the chance to better their lives through a new platform of learning. Full report: ABC News
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A growing number of British women are falling pregnant after a one-night stand |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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This summer's blockbuster romcom charts the story of a girl who has a baby after a one-night stand – a scenario all too familiar to a growing number of British women.
According to pregnancy advisory serviceMarie Stopes International (MSI), in January this year 13 per cent more women sought abortions than the previous year. Although there is always an increase in January, following all those brief drunken encounters of the festive season, this upturn was sharp enough to cause concern.
In the UK, 81 per cent people of a reproductive age use some form of contraception, and a quarter of all women aged 16 to 49 use an oral one. That's an awful lot of people not wanting to conceive. But a quick, highly unofficial straw poll among friends reveals more than half a dozen surprise pregnancies after short relationships or one night stands – even using a contraceptive. Somehow, it seems the figures aren't adding up.
Full report: The Independent |
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Drug switch plunges boy into hell |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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When Wade Somani was put on a new drug to calm his hyperactivity and aggression, he suffered hallucinations and completely lost control.
After two years on Ritalin, he was put on Rubifen in April under Government subsidy changes to save $1 million a year.
"He had terrible hallucinations. He had shaking spasms in his legs. He was throwing himself around the room, screaming and howling that he was in agony," his mother, Jude Betham of Pukekohe, recalled yesterday. "We were very frightened because we've never seen him like that before."
Full report: NZ Herald |
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Outsourcing your parenting tasks |
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Blog Posted by Users
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Written by Abel Cheng
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No time to prepare lunch for your kids? Not free to send and pick up your son from a soccer training?
No worries. You can outsource these tasks to someone else. Parenting is getting more complicated now with today's busy lifestyle.
I read with amazement this story of Parenting Subcontractors about a company called Health e-Lunch Kids. It charges parents $4.99 apiece for the homemade, nutritious meals it delivers each day.
Need ferrying services for kids? You may need to call Mother Hen's Helpers.
I am not sure if parenting subcontractors would help improve parent-child relationship. Some people may end up spend less time with children because of this service. They use the “saved” time on their work instead.
But personally, I still think parents have to involve and spend time with children. You just can’t let others do the job for you. Listening to and communicate with children are, among others, stuff that you can't outsource. |
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Some great parenting articles... |
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Blog Posted by Users
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Written by Abel Cheng
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I came across some great articles. Go check them out.
The Parents Zone: How To Set The Rules Of Parenting Discipline To Make Your Child Respect And Follow Them?
Be a Good Dad: Autism Discipline |
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Single mom: How do I tell my daughter about her irresponsible father |
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Articles
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Written by Ruth Liew
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Question: As I'm a single mother (my husband and I have been a part from the time I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter), how do I answer my daughter (she's 2 years and 8 months) if and when she asks me about her father -- without confusing her and making her feel that it's her fault.
I am so afraid that she will blame herself for her father's irresponsibility. So far I have never mentioned her father to her. And as she has never seen him before, it has not been an issue yet. I'm just trying to prepare myself when she starts asking questions.
Singlemom
Answer: You are right about the need to prepare answers for your child regarding her father. At every stage of her life, she will have different questions about her family. Your answers should be tailored according to her level of understanding. At two years, she may want to know whether she has a daddy. Your answer should be "Yes. You have a daddy. He is not with us right now." When she gets older, she may want to know more. You can start to give her the answers that are appropriate to her questions. Do not taint your answers with your negative feelings towards her father. This may further complicate the issues of not having her father around.
If you do not involve your child in your animosity with your ex-spouse, your child will not get hurt or blame herself for the divorce. As your child grows, you must work towards bringing her up confident and independent. She can grow up feeling loved, supported and secure in your single parent home environment.
Join a single-parent support group. You can find good help in single parents who have gone through the challenges of raising children on their own.
Ruth Liew is an expert in early childhood education, child development, parenting, and child care. She is also an author and a columnist.
See also:
Blog: Diary of a Single Mom on the Edge
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Internet police avert girl’s suicide plans |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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An 11-year-old schoolgirl who told Internet chat-room visitors that she was planning to kill herself was traced by Attica electronic crime squad officers who informed her parents, it was revealed yesterday.
Working on tipoffs, police traced the messages to the girl’s home and informed her parents that the girl had expressed her intention to commit suicide, citing personal problems. The parents said they had not been aware that their daughter was unhappy.
Full report: ekathimerini.com
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MySpace finds 29,000 sex offenders on its site |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking website — more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, North Carolina officials said Tuesday.
North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently demanded the News Corp.-owned website provide data on how many registered sex offenders were using the site, along with information about where they live.
Full report: USA Today |
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101 Child Safety and Childproofing Tips for Parents |
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Articles
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Written by PW Editorial Team
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Before it’s too late, do your best to make sure your child is in a safe home environment. Because even the smallest precautions can make a difference between life and death.
I don’t mean to scare you but the statistics say it all (quoted from KeepYourChildSafe.org):
- About 1,000 children choke to death each year.
- Yearly there are around 800,000 child abductions in the United States.
- Accidental injury is the number one killer of America’s children, taking more lives than disease, violence and suicide.
- Between 500 and 600 children lose their lives in house fires. About 2,000 children 14 and under die each year from home accidents. 80% are ages 4 and under.
And the most important statistic:
- Experts estimate between 75 to 90% of these tragedies could be avoided through better safety awareness.
It’s worth repeating here that safety awareness could have prevented up to 90% of the tragedies.
With that in mind, I truly hope that this list can help you reduce child accidents and mishaps. Let’s make our home a safer place for our children to grow and play.
Here are the 101 tips:
Windows and doors 1. Even first floor windows are a risk for children. If they can be opened more than about 4 inches, then they are unsafe. Use childproof window guards or keep windows locked if they can be opened by children.
2. Remove window cranks from casement windows so that children can’t open them.
3. Keep objects such as stools and firm boxes away from windows so that children cannot climb on them and fall out of a window.
4. Hammer a nail into the door jamb so that the nail to open the door from the inside can be hung on it. Keep keys out of reach of children so they cannot escape when you don’t notice.
5. Make sure your patio doors feature safety glass and affix a strip of safety tape to both sides so that children will see that there is glass there and won’t run into it.
6. Keep cords from blinds out of children’s reach as they present a choking and strangulation hazard.
7. Never position a baby’s crib or child’s bed near a window or blinds.
8. Install a chain door guard to keep little ones safely inside and strangers outside.
9. Use a ‘door mouse’ to prevent squashed fingers in slamming doors.
10. Use doorknob covers so that children cannot gain entry to rooms they shouldn’t.
11. Install locks on the inside of cabinet doors and drawers in the kitchen, bathroom, garage and laundry.
Kitchen 12. Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone.
13. Never hold a child while stirring hot foods on the stove or while carrying hot plates or pans.
14. Position microwave ovens up high.
15. Never let children of any age operate the garbage disposal unit.
16. High chairs and booster chairs must be sturdy and able to be cleaned easily and children should never be left unattended in either.
17. Affix an oven lock to your upright stove so it can’t be opened.
18. Use knob covers on your stove knobs to prevent children turning the gas or electricity on.
19. A stove guard protects curious youngsters from burning themselves when trying to see what’s for dinner.
20. Keep all knives and other sharp utensils out of reach of children.
21. Store all hazardous substances out of reach or in locked cabinets.
22. Ensure that appliance cords do not dangle over the countertops.
23. When children are around, cook only on the back burners of the stove and keep pot handles turned towards the rear of the stove.
24. Add dishwasher detergent to the dishwasher immediately prior to turning it on so that children are not tempted by the pretty powder as food.
25. Buy a fire extinguisher suitable for kitchen use and keep it handy in the kitchen. Make sure you know how to operate it.
26. Avoid the use of tablecloths because children can pull them, and the entire contents of the table, down on top of them.
27. Keep pet bowls outdoors or at least out of the reach of children as they represent not only a hygiene concern but a choking or drowning risk.
Bathroom 28. Cover the bathtub spout with an inflatable safety gadget to prevent bruising and burns.
29. Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub for even a second.
30. Always empty the tub or basin because even a couple of inches of water poses a drowning risk to small children.
31. Install a lid lock on toilets as these are also drowning hazards.
32. Use safety locks on medicine cabinets and wherever hazardous substances such as cleaning products are kept.
33. Keep sharp items such as razors out of reach.
34. Use a non-slip bath mat both in the tub and on the floor.
35. A safety tap guard will prevent scalds from children turning on the hot tap.
Electrical 36. A cord control kit will keep all your electrical cords and computer cables neatly in one single tube and out of reach of curious fingers.
37. Outlet plugs prevent little fingers from inserting hazardous objects into electrical outlets.
38. While children are at risk, keep electrical appliances out of the bathroom. Have strip heaters affixed to the wall and keep hairdryers and other styling appliances in the bedroom.
39. Install a mains-operated circuit breaker or a safety switch.
40. Replace cords on electrical appliances if they are damaged or worn. Try to buy appliances that have short cords, or tie in place if too long.
41. Get down on your child’s level to see what they can see and if any electrical hazards are visible, remove them.
42. Teach your older children never to play near power lines, especially if a storm is looming.
Laundry 43. Keep buckets out of reach, especially when in use and containing water.
44. Make sure washing machines and dryers are closed firmly when not in use. If there is any chance a child could get into either, the laundry must be locked to entry.
Outdoor 45. A retractable driveway barrier is like a tennis court net that you stretch over the driveway or other opening to stop balls from rolling out on to the street and hopefully, children from riding out.
46. Never leave children unattended in a yard that is visible or accessible by undesirable people.
47. Keep children sun-safe outdoors by using hats, protective clothing and sunscreen.
48. Tie up or contain any animals that are unpredictable around children until the children are safely back inside.
49. Remove water from any waterfalls, ponds or birdbaths unless they can be securely fenced off.
Bedroom 50. A crib rail teether will prevent your child from gnawing at paint or varnish on the wooden crib.
51. Bed rails are useful for children who frequently fall out of bed.
52. A night light provides comfort and reassurance for children who are afraid of the dark and also lights the way when the child gets up to use the bathroom.
53. Toys and teddy bears should never be left in a baby’s crib while the baby is in it. They can cause suffocation, and older children can climb on them and out of the crib.
54. Remove bumper pads from the crib when your child is old enough to stand.
55. Furniture that poses a toppling risk should be removed or secured to the wall.
56. Mobiles are pretty but they are a choking and strangulation risk to babies if placed within reach.
57. Regardless of age, babies and toddlers should never be left unattended on change tables.
58. Do not use wire coat hangers, moth balls or dry cleaning bags in children’s wardrobes or drawers.
59. Don’t use electric blankets on children’s beds until you are absolutely sure they have stopped wetting the bed (despite manufacturer assurances that they are safe).
Living room 60. Examine all your furniture. Anything with a glass top, sharp corners or wobbly legs should be removed, at least until the children are old enough to not be vulnerable to injury because of them.
61. If you have a bar, put alcohol away and out of reach.
62. Remove small objects such as ornaments and picture frames and place them higher and out of reach.
63. Test your TV and other home entertainment equipment for toppling risks. A TV that falls on a child can be deadly.
Stairs and banisters 64. Keep stairways free of clutter that the children – or adults – can trip over.
65. Furniture should not be positioned near banisters because children can climb on them and fall over.
66. Use safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairways. They should be lockable and able to be operated with one hand.
67. Banister posts any wider than 4” apart can trap a child’s head. If yours are spaced like this, you can buy special panels of Perspex to use until the children are older – or their heads bigger!
Traveling 68. Children must wear seatbelts when riding in a vehicle.
69. Have a professional either install or inspect the installation of your car seats to ensure they are secure and safe.
70. Age and size appropriate booster seats and car seats must be used in all vehicles that the children ride in. Babies less than 20lbs in weight should ride in rear-facing seats.
71. Eating and drinking in a moving car can be a choking hazard.
72. Never let a child sit in the front seat of a vehicle, especially if there are dual air bags.
73. When traveling by public transport, have the child wear an identity bracelet. Plastic ones are available on the Internet and can be written on with the details required.
Heating and cooling 74. Use guards around fireplaces and radiator heaters. Or, use an alternative form of heating.
75. In winter, dress children in pajamas that are fire-safe, i.e. with natural materials and no dangling sleeves or legs.
76. Never position fans where a child can poke his or her fingers through the protective bars.
77. Don’t allow children to sit too close to heaters or coolers, especially if they may fall asleep there.
78. Keep fireplace tools, kindling, logs, lighters and matches out of reach.
79. Lower the hot water thermostat to 50°C to avoid scalding.
Pool safety 80. A pool fence is an absolute must and it must have a lock that children cannot reach.
81. The pool fence must be constructed out of materials that can’t be climbed by children.
82. Children should always learn to swim but if you have a pool, it is even more important from an even younger age that they are taught water survival techniques.
83. Adult supervision at all times is vital. Never leave children unattended in or around the pool, even for a few seconds.
84. No one should run around the pool.
85. When a child is missing, the first place to check is the Jacuzzi or the pool because if they are found there, revival time is crucial.
Toys 86. Give your child age-appropriate toys to play with.
87. Observe the warnings on toy packages.
88. Broken or damaged toys should be thrown away if they represent a choking or other injury hazard.
89. Throw away any plastic bags, boxes or twist ties that come with toys.
90. Projectile toys are not a good idea for children.
91. Toy boxes must be designed so they don’t close on top of children. A removable lid is even better and will prevent jamming hands and suffocation. Any item that is big enough for a child to crawl inside must have adequate ventilation.
Garden and plants 92. Be aware that some plants are toxic and get rid of them from the interior and exterior of your home.
93. Keep hoses out of reach as they can be a strangulation hazard.
94. Lock up sharp gardening tools.
95. Lock up gardening chemicals and other hazardous substances.
Fire 96. Install smoke detectors in hallways, the kitchen and wherever else you deem appropriate. Change the batteries twice a year and test the detectors monthly.
97. Work out the best exits in the event of a fire and involve the whole family in a fire drill once or twice per year.
98. Buy a fire extinguisher for each floor of the house. Make sure each is appropriate for the kinds of fire that may occur, e.g. fat or electrical fire in the kitchen, chemical in the garage. Familiarize yourself on their operation.
99. Teach children about the perils of playing with fire.
100. Keep flammables and matches out of reach of children.
General 101. Never smoke around children and keep ashtrays, lighters, matches and cigarettes out of reach.
If you enjoyed this article, can you help? Please Digg it or save it on Del.icio.us. It's a great booster for me to create more good stuff for you in the future. Thanks.
See also:
How to Create Kid Central in Your Home
Offline Parent Versus Online Predator |
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6 Powerful Lessons We Can Learn from Children |
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Blog Posted by Users
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Written by Abel Cheng
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One of my articles appeared on Tanyetta's blog Days Like These! I wrote about six powerful lessons parents (and adults for that matter) can learn from children. Read it here...
What Children Can Teach Us about Life and Happiness: The Six Forgotten Lessons
While you are there, check out Tanyetta's blog. Mainly about her toddler. Be warned, some can be very hilarious! |
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Potter Magic: Book Breaks Sales Records |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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 "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final volume of J.K. Rowling's all-conquering fantasy series, sold a mountainous 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale in the United States, according to Scholastic Inc.
No other book, not even any of the six previous Potters, has been so desired, so quickly. "Deathly Hallows" averaged more than 300,000 copies in sales per hour -- more than 5,000 a minute. The $34.99 book, even allowing for discounts, generated far more revenue than the opening weekend of the latest Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which came out July 10.
Full report: Chicago Tribune |
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Tiny Dog Saves Baby From Rattlesnake |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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Zoey is a Chihuahua, but when a rattlesnake lunged at her owners' 1-year-old grandson, she was a real bulldog.
Booker West was splashing his hands in a birdbath in his grandparents' northern Colorado back yard when the snake slithered up to the toddler, rattled and struck. Five-pound Zoey jumped in the way and took the bites.
Full report: SFGate.com |
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New Parent Sleep SOS: "My newborn won't nap!" |
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Articles
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Written by Ann Douglas
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Ann Douglas, author of Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler, offers some advice on dealing with this common—and frustrating—newborn sleep issue.
What you're dealing with here is a very common (and also a very frustrating) problem. Some parents of newborns find that their babies won't nap at all. Others find that their babies nap for 20 minutes maximum – barely even a catnap. So what's going on?
YOUR BABY IS STILL A BABY. Your baby hasn't mastered those all-important self-soothing skills that will allow him to get himself back to sleep if he momentarily stirs during his nap. He'll acquire those skills with a little help from you as he gets older, so he's relying on you to help him to get back to sleep at naptime.
What you can do: Try to get in the habit of putting your baby down in a bassinet or crib for at least one of his daytime naps, so he can start to get used to napping on his own, as opposed to in the sling or in your arms. He won't start forming powerful sleep associations (making the link between his environment as he was falling asleep and when he wakes up) until around age three to four months, but it's still good practice, for him and for you. You may want to experiment with a variety of baby-soothing strategies so that you have a variety of sleep tools to rely on if your baby protests when you try to put him down for his nap. All of these techniques (e.g., sound/vibration, scent, massage, motion, patting, etc.) can be highly effective in soothing an overtired or over-stimulated baby and helping baby settle down to sleep. TIP: If you've noticed that certain things work well to soothe your baby at night-time, you may want to use these same techniques at nap-time—or adapt them slightly so that baby learns to differentiate between the sleep that occurs at night and the sleep that occurs during the day.
IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN TO READ YOUR BABY'S SLEEPINESS CUES. These cues can be subtle and fleeting. One moment your baby is tired: the next he's overtired.
What you can do: Learn your baby's unique cues—and be prepared for these cues to evolve over time. Watch for calmness, reduced activity, signs that your baby is less tuned-in to her surroundings, quieter, cooing/babbling less, and nursing more slowly/less vigorously. These are all signs that she's getting sleepy.
OFTEN NIGHT-TIME SLEEP COMES FIRST. An overtired baby will not nap well. Until your baby is sleeping reasonably well at night, her daytime naps may be short and erratic. Once your baby hits the four- to five-month mark and becomes physically capable of going for a five month stretch in the night without a feeding, you'll probably find that it's easier to get your baby down for a nap.
What you can do: Learn how your baby's sleep patterns are evolving. This will help to ensure that your sleep expectations are in synch with your baby's particular developmental stage.
REMEMBER THAT EVERY BABY IS UNIQUE. Your baby's temperament will affect the ease with which you're able to get your baby down for a nap. If, for example, your baby is highly sensitive and his patterns are highly irregular (or he has other challenging temperamental traits), you may find it takes him longer to settle into a naptime routine than other babies his age. And if your baby was born prematurely or with any special needs, that needs to be factored in as well.
What you can do: Appreciate all the things that make your baby unique, including his "sleep personality." Refuse to become competitive about with other parents when it comes to the issue of sleep. Instead of worrying about who is getting the most or the least sleep, focus on swapping coping strategies and offering one another support. That's what will get you through the long nights (and sometimes longer days) of parenthood.
Ann Douglas is the author of The Mother of All Baby Books and the newly-published Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler and Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler. Read her articles at www.having-a-baby.com.
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Does eating grass turn a cows milk green? |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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Most school children know that milk is white, but what colour would it be if cows ate grass? Surprising new research from Dairy Farmers of Britain reveals that almost one in ten eight to 15 year olds believe that if a cow ate grass, the milk it produced would no longer be white (8%), more than one in three of these believing that it would, in fact, be green (38%).
Full report: Farming UK |
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More men trying out fatherhood in their 40s |
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The News
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Written by Administrator
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Older fathers aren't a new phenomenon, but their ranks are growing. More men are fathering children later in life - especially at 40 and older - than ever before, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Full report: HometownAnnapolis.com |
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