Today's Parent | Parenting Resources… Articles, Advice, Help & Tips

In the past, most kids spent the bulk of their play time outdoors, socializing and exercising in backyards, at playgrounds and parks. With technology advances and the ever-growing amount of cable and Internet content, children now are more likely to be found plopped in front a television or computer screen than exploring and interacting with the natural world. The contemporary child’s play environment has changed dramatically and not all the effects are positive.

According to the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, playing outdoors is more than just a joy of childhood. It is essential for both the mental and physical well-being of children-outdoor active play promotes cognitive development, encourages creativity and keeps children moving. In fact, research has shown that children who actively play outdoors during early childhood have a tendency to be smarter, to score higher on tests and to exhibit more creativity. Read More

Websites like NetSmartz from the National Center and Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provide tips and education; and software like CA’s Internet Security Suite 2010 provides advanced, easy-to-use and customizable parental controls to support safe online behavior. NCMEC and CA partnered to offer the following tips for Web-aware parents:

Online Safety and Behavior

• Agree with your child on Internet rules, including how much time per day, what activities and sites are OK, and why.

• Explain why your children should never share passwords, even with close friends.

• Teach your child never to click on links or attachments sent by e-mail, unless they know the sender. Even in those cases, use caution.

• Get involved and Surf the Web together. Have them show you their online profile, favorite chat rooms, and friends. Show genuine curiosity and make it fun.

• Keep your PC in the living room or other common area and give your child a separate, non-administrative sign-on name. Read More

Why do 35 million U.S. children participate in organized youth sports each year? To start, sports give boys and girls an array of exciting “firsts” — the first game, the first big score and the first team victory. For every first win, however, there is also a child’s first big loss and the question that follows: How can I guide my child through the disappointment of defeat?

While such comforts as juice boxes and granola bars provide a good start, only an adult mentor can show a young athlete how even a 1 and 10 season can be full of fun memories and positive learning experiences.

“Rebounding from mistakes, overcoming disappointment, rallying oneself to prevail at next week’s game — these are the life lessons that youth sports provide,” says Jim Thompson, founder and executive director of Positive Coaching Alliance.

Thompson emphasizes that to ensure boys and girls absorb these lessons, participation by parents in a constructive and encouraging manner is crucial.

“Youth sports offer so many teachable moments that can enrich a child in the long run,” says Thompson. “When moms and dads successfully partner with their children’s coaches to put the game in healthy perspective, kids are more likely to view their sporting experience as positive.” Read More

Today, expectant mothers are often given a long list of do’s and don’ts to follow — and that list seems to change almost daily.

Fortunately, some well-chosen expert advice can help reassure mothers-to-be that they are doing everything they can to plan a healthy pregnancy.

Drs. Alane Park, Yvonne Bohn and Allison Hill are expert OB/GYNs who deal with all types of pregnancies and deliveries at their practice in Los Angeles.

Their everyday experiences with pregnant women have earned them a television series called Deliver Me, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The three doctors, who are also moms themselves, have compiled 10 simple but essential tips to help keep expectant moms and their babies happy and healthy:

1. Wait at least nine months before getting pregnant after each pregnancy.

2. Talk to your doctor about your recommended pregnancy weight gain. It may differ for each body type and each pregnancy. Read More

While parents have enough to worry about when sending their son or daughter off to college, the safety of their child’s “stuff” shouldn’t be one of them. However, since theft continues to be one of the most common crimes on American college campuses, parents should – and can – reduce the chances of their students becoming victims by following these campus safety tips.

1. Back-up the backpack
While backpacks are a popular and practical tool for carrying books and supplies, they’re also an easy target for theft due to their multiple, simple points of entry. Help your student deter theft with a sporty and secure backpack lock, such as a carabineer lock. Students should also be mindful to keep their backpack and other valuables with them at all times, whether in the classroom, library or cafeteria.

2. Engrave valuables
Help your student engrave or permanently mark his or her valuables with your student’s first initial and last name. Permanently marking items makes them more difficult to pawn, easier to recognize as stolen and easier to identify and reclaim. Read More

With the incidence of disordered eating continuing to rise among children, being a psychologically savvy parent can help significantly decrease chances that kids will develop an eating disorder or have a poor body image, says New York City-based psychologist and eating disorder specialist Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld, who is in private practice and affiliated with Columbia University Medical Center.

Disordered eating –whether obesity, anorexia, or other forms — can be prevented in many cases if parents look at their own bodies differently.

“While eating disorders have genetic components and are influenced by peer groups and media exposure, there are concrete ways that parents can help promote healthy eating and a positive body image for their children. Kids are very smart and they pick up on their parents’ relationship with their own bodies and with food.” Dr. Rosenfeld explains. Read More

More and more, parents are keeping an eye on ways to protect their youngster’s vision. It helps to know that eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the United States and many of these injuries are sports related. Fortunately, 90 percent of sports-related eye injuries in children can be prevented with the use of protective eyewear. Making sure your young athlete gears up with the right protective eyewear may save your child’s sight.

What Vision Protection Looks Like
Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Safety goggles that can be worn over prescription glasses can also be found. Read More

You’ve spent more money on your child’s education than you did for your first home. You’ve deferred your retirement savings so she could go to the best possible college. But now that she’s finally graduating, is she prepared to find a job?

“Many of today’s new college graduates have never set foot in their school’s career guidance office or held an internship, nor do they know how to successfully find employment. It is now up to parents to share the real truths about finding a job in today’s tenuous employment climate,” says Ford R. Myers, career coach, speaker and author of  Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, http://www.getthejobbook.com).

Myers suggests the following five job-seeking tips parents can impart to their new college graduate:

1. The Most Qualified Job Candidate Does Not Necessarily Get the Job Offer. In today’s difficult job market, strong qualifications and accomplishments are necessary. However, the candidate who will get the job is the one who self-markets and demonstrates to the employer that she is the best fit for the company’s needs, problems and challenges. Read More

Take this one last test with your teen…

As graduation time approaches, parents, grandparents, and friends are trying to decide how to best help the young people around them make the most of their potential. Take this quick quiz together with the teen in your life:

Y/N    I have a mentor who motivates me.

Y/N    I understand the power of “not yet.”

Y/N    My top goal is clearly written on a bright 3×5 card. I have it with me right now.

Y/N    I listened to my Dream Theme song today.

Y/N    My lifeboard* would be boringly blank.

Y/N    It is wrong to ask.

Y/N    I can strengthen my risk muscles by trying something I don’t usually excel at.

If your teen answered NO to any of the above statements, consider having your teen do the following:

Find a mentor. Decide what you want to do, then find someone who is successful in that field. Then just ask. Ask that person how they achieved success. You may be surprised who can be your mentor. Ready for a bigger surprise? That person will be honored to share with you. Two generations of basketball players have sought to emulate Michael Jordan; only a handful have actually sought him out as a mentor. “Who do I admire that is successfully doing what I want to do? How can I contact that person? What 3 questions can that person answer right now?” Nothing builds dreams like hanging out with a mentor. Read More