Tag Archives: safety

Child Safety, Parenting, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Parenting Goals for Your Child’s Development

Guest contribution-

There are a lot of parents with young children who prefer to hire child care services most especially when there is not enough time to be with them. Most of the times, parents prefer someone who is just a relative or someone who lives nearby. There are really times when we needed the assistance of someone who can be “physically there” to care for your child.

What are the Goals of each Parent for their Child?

 

Discover what the strengths of your child are.

This will help them develop and make their dreams come to reality.
Never give them something that is not on their list of interests, as this will only discourage them to become better.

Support your child’s excellence and make sure that you are there to guide them all the way.

You have to make them feel confident and let them know that you are there to cheer them up whenever they feel down.

Teach your child to become independent.

This will let your child do things on his or her own even when you’re not around.
Your child will be able to grow with self-esteem.
Build them with a good character so they will grow kind-hearted until they grow old.

Different Styles of Parenting

There are different ways of parenting, and that would depend on one person to the other. Since we all grew up in different communities, we tend to raise each child differently. If you try to research these styles on the web, you may discover which style would work out best for you.

If all these listed above are not doable things to do, then you have to make sure that your child is always in good hands. Child Support Agency is an institution that can help you manage the goals listed above, and makes your child become successful in life. They can help you in arranging child maintenance whenever you cannot do it by yourself.
Child Support Agency would provide you how much you need to shell out for child maintenance services, and they can even help you with the collection of fees. You will surely be informed which organization is most suitable for you and your child.

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Those who have their children with them
  • Those who are considered a child’s grandparent or guardian
  • Those parents who do not have his child living with him or her
  • Those children who are residing in Scotland

If you are the receiving parent, and you are not residing in United Kingdom, then you cannot apply for the services.

All these mentioned above are important notes for each and every parent in the world. If you are self-confident about your parenting style, then there would no reasons for you to apply for these services. There are really children who misbehave and get us out of control but when it comes to your own child, you would know and understand how it is to become a parent.

Try to search for the CSA number in order to get assistance in parenting. Give them all the information that they need to make sure that they would be able to help you accurately.

Child Safety, Family Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Finding a Kid Friendly Home

Alyssa Sullivan, guest contributor

Buying a new home is an exciting event in your life no matter who you are, but when you have kids and a family, there are some special aspects of a home that you need to look for. Finding the right kid friendly home can take some time, but in the end, it will pay off. Since your home is where you will be spending the majority of your time, it’s important to take the following into account when you begin your search. While everything might not always fall into place, meeting the majority of your needs will only make life easier and better for every member of your family.

The Neighborhood

One of the first things that you should consider when seeking a kid friendly home is the neighborhood that it exists in. Having a home in a safe neighborhood will make it a lot easier to keep your family and children safe overall. When looking at a neighborhood, check online to see what others are saying about the area. Look at City-Data to get detailed information and search Google to find crime statistics. Sometimes your real estate agent can help you as well if you ask specific questions about crime and other safety issues.

Look into how far away the nearest police and fire stations are. Consider driving around the potential area, or take a Google Street View tour to see if people leave things outside, like grills and bikes, or if the yards are empty. Homes that have lots of things outside, though not in a trashy way, often mean that people are not afraid that things are going to get stolen or damaged. Similarly, check into the overall look of the neighborhood. While homes might be older, well-manicured lawns show that people in the area care about what their home looks like and what the neighborhood looks like.

The School System

Chances are there are a number of schools in the area where you are looking at a home. Finding the right school for your kids is important, especially if you have young kids who will be in the school system for a long time. Check online and get information about the school that your home would be in the district of and see what it is rated as. Each state rates each school according to various factors, so make sure you are comfortable with the ratings and reputation that the school has online. Similarly, check into after school activities and other things to do around the area. Don’t be afraid to ask online for information about a given area to see what current residents think of it. Not only will this give you an idea of what’s going on, but it will help you plan ahead and get your child settled into a new routine quickly.

The Home Itself

While only one aspect of the search for a kid friendly place, the home itself might be the most important aspect of all. This is the place where you and your children will be spending a lot of time, so make sure that the home you choose is both safe and comfortable. When you view a potential home, keep the following in mind.

  • Is the home in good repair? Are there edges or other aspects of the home that would need to be fixed to make it safe?
  • Is there mold or other water related problems that could cause illness?
  • If your child has allergies, is there carpet in the home?
  • How old is the home? Is there lead in the paint of an older home you are considering?
  • Is the yard fenced in? If so, is the fencing in good repair?
  • How is the yard? Are there holes that present a danger, or other issues that would need to be fixed?
  • Are there stairs that might pose a danger to younger children? Are all railings and handrails in good condition?

Keep in mind that your child is going to grow up in the home that you choose. Make sure to take your time and seek the house that will be the best fit for you and your family. Consider, also, the potential that your family may grow. As you view potential homes, keep these things in mind, or even make a list of things to look at specifically. In the end, by remembering these simple things, you will be able to find a great home in a place that is not only pretty, but safe for your family.

——

The author of this post, Alyssa Sullivan, has worked for a few large moving companies throughout her twenty years in the industry. Today she offers helpful tips like these to consumers who need to relocate and don’t want to deal with too much stress.

 

Child Safety, Discipline, Family Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

How To Have A Safe Flight With Your Kids

Mark, guest contributor

Keeping our children safe is our responsibility. Whether during a car ride, while my kids are riding a bicycle, or before, during and after a flight, safety for my children is my number one concern.

When traveling with kids on a flight, it’s all about managing things you can control so that you can handle the things you cannot control.

Here are some of the best tips that will assist you in flying safely and sanely with your kids:

 

Cleaning

The first thing you should do is take an anti-bacterial wipe and/or spray and wipe off every cleanable surface that you could possibly touch. Don’t let odd looks from other passengers stop you. If you’re fast, this process takes about a minute or two, at the most. Repeat during the journey, if you remember.

 

Before the take-off

Gather everything you think you might need for the first 30 minutes to an hour after the seatbelt sign turns on, and put it within arm’s reach. This includes snacks, wipes, crayons, toys, books, and whatever. Make a list of what you’ll need during this time before you leave the house so that you don’t forget anything.

 

Ear pressure

Babies and young children are sensitive to changes in cabin pressure. Ask your doctor if it’s okay, but I keep age-appropriate Tylenol within arm’s reach at all times. Our pediatrician advised that as soon as I see my daughter pull on her ears or complain about pressure, to give a full dose.

As we already discussed, nursing or giving a bottle to babies during take-off and landing helps their ears. Older kids can munch on snacks. Lollipops are great for this, too, because they are long lasting.

 

Diapering

Pack more diapers than you need. This never happened to me, but in the off chance you are stuck at the gate or on the tarmac for hours at a time, you need to have enough. Your child may get an upset stomach from something he or she ate on the plane or pick up a random germ. Be over-prepared in this department.

Diaper wipes: On long haul flights, make sure that you seal your wipes packet tightly. The re-circulated air can dry them out.

 

In-Flight Meals

Warming bottles and food: If you ask a flight attendant to warm bottles or food, test the temperature first. They’re very busy and may not have babies at home.

Jarred baby food: If you are flying on an airline where jarred baby food is provided, you should bring your own anyway. I asked an airline if they could tell me what flavors of jarred food they had onboard and they couldn’t verify with certainty.

Even if they gave me a list of options, there is always a risk that they could run out. Plus, you don’t want your baby to try new food and have an allergic reaction at 35,000 feet.

It’s easier to keep her calm, than to have to deal with a frightened child.

 

On-board Entertainment

Of course, it’s foolish to assume that the movies and magazines offered onboard are going to entertain all young children, and you may need to motivate them to focus on a different kind of entertainment.

You’ll need to haul onboard toys and other gear to help you stay sane. This brings me to another point. I personally think that you must do whatever it takes for you and your fellow passengers to survive a flight together.

 

In Case Of A Meltdown

This is likely the best tip I have for toddlers and preschoolers. We all experience “get me off this plane” feelings and kids typically articulate them by fussing. You can’t rationalize with a toddler.

The most effective way for me to reset my daughter’s mood when she starts to fuss is by handing her a present. I started taking very lightweight, cheap presents on the plane when my daughter was about 1 year old.

And, if you think your child can handle it, wrap the presents in multiple layers. Drag the process out as long as you can. Get creative. Especially on a long haul flight, when other passengers are trying to sleep, you have to be proactive about stopping crying immediately. This is one way to do it.

 

For sleeping

Sleep cues: If your child has a stuffed animal or security blanket that they use to fall asleep, bring it on the plane and give it to them when it’s time to sleep. I’m sure this is a no-brainer already.

However, when it’s time to sleep (this applies mainly to longer flights) be sure to change your child into pajamas, sleep sack, or whatever they normally sleep in. Try to repeat your normal bedtime routine. This is a hassle to do on the plane, but any reminder that it’s time to sleep helps.

There’s no question that flying with kids can be stressful. I hope that you can take a little bit of my experience and make your upcoming flight a little easier.

——

Mark recently took his family on a holiday to Vanuatu, where he spared neither effort nor expense to keep his kids (and wife) safe.

Child Safety, Discipline, Online Safety, Parenting

Are You Concerned Your Kids are Sexting?

Georgia Carson, guest contributor

If you are concerned that your kids are sexting, chances are that they are. Scary? Absolutely! An article on What Every Parent Should Know About Sexting reported that 39% of teens and 59% of young adults have sexted at least once. They also define sexting as the act of sending sexually explicit message via SMS or texting.

The huge risk is that if the child is under 18 years of age they can be charged with transmitting child porn, even if the pictures are of them. In addition, once the picture is “out there” it cannot be taken back. The boyfriend they trust today can turn into the X-boyfriend who is out for vengeance and their sexually explicit picture can be forwarded to any number of people, over and over again.

If you are seeing text messages you don’t understand, you can consult a sexting dictionary that will put the code slang in plain explicit English.

Sexting laws affect your child and can have severe consequences for you. Sexting is a felony in the second degree; the laws are very harsh and were put in place to protect children from exploitation, which can penalize the child even when they are engaging in consenting activity. Your child could be required to register as a sex offender. All states in the U.S. have laws to protect minors from exploitation through sexually explicit images. Some states have addressed separate sexting laws, but if they don’t your child could be charged with child pornography. If your child is arrested for sexting, law enforcement could show up at your door to confiscate all computers, cell phones and smartphones.

What your kids do on their cell phone or smartphone is far from anonymous. They can be tracked using GPS or their IP address and if found guilty could be subject to arrest, fines, imprisonment and being labeled for life as a sex offender.

So what is a parent to do?

First, have a serious conversation with your teen about the law and the possibility that the sexually explicit text message could be distributed much further than intended. Will they hate you for it? That is a real possibility! The teenage years have been defined as “Teenage – young enough to know you can, old enough to know you shouldn’t, and stupid enough to do it anyway.”

Second, make sure you know what they are doing! Stealth monitoring programs can let you see all of their text messages, so if you suspect they are getting into dangerous ground you can and should take their phone away. They may hate you for a very long time but you can save them from themselves and that is often the position parents must take.

Third, be consistent, firm and love them anyway. They won’t be teenagers all their lives and if you hold the line on behavior standards, someday they will thank you for it, maybe silently, but they will thank you all the same!

——–

Georgia Carson writes passionately about parenting and for PhoneSheriff an app to monitor text messages.

Child Safety, Family Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

How Safe is Safe?

Safety is a topic high on every parent’s priority list. We all worry about the safety of our children in an uncertain world where danger lurks around every corner and we may feel inadequate to provide them with the necessary training for self defense.

The question is how can I help my child to develop the skills and the judgment they need for adequate self defense and safety? How safe is safe?

When we talk about safety and self defense an overwhelming list of hazards crowd the picture and we may not know where to start. Food safety, fire safety, gun safety, playground safety, stranger awareness, and the list goes on. We can’t protect our children from every scratch, fall or insult and we can’t prepare them to deal with every situation they might face. But when we get right down to it one safety topic heads the list in every parent’s mind — stranger awareness.

Does your child know what to do if approached by a stranger say, on the playground, at the mall, or in the park?

Practice role playing with your child. Teach them what to say if a stranger tries to give them a ride home from school, for instance, or tries to buy them a treat. Ask them to tell you what they would do or say in a variety of situations and help them to memorize phone numbers and addresses to use in an emergency or unsafe situation. It may even be wise to test their behavior by asking someone the child doesn’t know to act out one of these scenarios with your child. You might be surprised at their response and it can help you to identify areas that need reinforcement.

How safe is safe? The safety of your child in every potential situation relies on their ability to be aware of their surroundings and to make the right decision when they need to act in their own self defense. We can’t control our children’s safety 100 percent of the time, but we can help them to acquire the skills necessary to help maintain their own safety.

Child Fitness, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Be Ready to Respond

As parents, we operate on two levels. Most of the time, we’re consumed with the issues that confront us on a daily basis — paying the bills, managing the household.

But when a crisis happens and our child is confronted physically or mentally, we drop everything and snap into action. So I ask the question: Do you – right now — have what it takes to keep your family safe in an emergency?

Probably not.

Prepare for the worst
Fortunately, the concept is simple: Whether you’re deterring bullies or getting out of dangerous situations, you need to have a plan.
Police officers, for example, are trained to respond to split-second, life-threatening situations. They learn to:

1. Remain alert
2. Act decisively
3. Have a pre-planned, practiced response in mind.

Now if you’re like most people, you’re so preoccupied with your day-to-day life that you don’t think about the bad things lurking around the corners. Or, worse yet, you’re in a state of denial based on a false belief that the world is and always will be safe.

But troubles – in the form of bullies, belittling teachers and people who cause real harm — do indeed exist. And protecting your family isn’t about becoming hyper-vigilant, it’s about this.

Building an awareness of the consequences that can happen. Police trainer Bob Lindsey of Jefferson Parish, LA, calls this “When/Then Thinking.”

Here’s how to frame these types of situations: “When something bad happens (notice the word, “WHEN,” not “IF”) then I will do X, Y and Z.” This way, you’re responding — not reacting to — an unfolding situation.

Keep your eyes open
It’s been said that the great equalizer in life is a baseball bat swung from the blind side of someone not paying attention.
If you’re not watching for the threat, how can you defend your family?

Good drivers, for example, are always on the watch for signs of trouble up ahead. If they see flashing lights or traffic slowing down, they know to pick a different route home.

Be watchful of the signs – a child beginning to have trouble at school, a neighbor acting strangely, a suspicious person following you down the street – and recognize that a possible threat is developing.

This is often less painful and much, much safer than wondering what happened once you’ve been hit by a baseball bat that you should have seen coming.

Make it happen
Just seeing some hazard down the road isn’t enough to keep you and your family safe. You’ve got to steer clear of the trouble you see.

This is harder than it seems. It involves trusting yourself to make the right, oftentimes difficult decision to take matters into your own hands, and not let others control you and your family. This can be as simple as speaking up at your child’s school conference if the teacher talks about your child in a negative manner.

Don’t just accept it, don’t let it pass. Act quickly, or suffer the consequences.

Here’s another example: Let’s say you’re at a concert and you notice the crowd around you is getting increasingly rowdy and out of control. You need to get out early.

To ignore bad behavior is to condone bad behavior. To ignore possible danger is to allow bad things to happen to you and your family.

Practice your plan… now!
You’re going to be most effective if you can preplan and practice your response to the situations you are likely to face:

• Verbal interactions with teachers and service providers
• Responding to someone bullying you or your child
• Emergencies, such as a house fire or home invasion
• Dealing with physical assault

This has to be practiced, not merely discussed. This is especially helpful if you anticipate a stressful encounter with someone you know, a child’s teacher, for example, said Marty Drapkin, a law enforcement training coordinator from Wisconsin.

You want a realistic response to a real threat, not a fantasy plan with little chance of success.

Be insured against danger
Think of this type of preparation as an insurance policy: Although a high-deductible insurance policy is cheaper, it provides little real coverage WHEN bad things happen.

The same is true of how you prepare to keep your family safe. If it doesn’t cost much, it probably won’t do much for you when you need it.

I call this type of preparation, “Quality of Life Insurance:” Always remain alert, be decisive and have a preplanned, practiced response in mind. Your response will be ready when you need it.

Bullying, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Help, I’m Being Bullied!

One of the most difficult challenges we can face as a parent is to help our child develop the appropriate social skills necessary to deal with a bully.
Let’s face it. We all have to learn how to interact with others in a complex variety of relationships and settings. We begin to acquire these skills almost from birth. Each attempt to communicate our needs elicits a response from our parents and we slowly learn to adapt our self centered behavior to incorporate the needs of other people.
But these skills don’t happen by accident. Children begin life being engaged with and interested in the people around them but are largely incapable of empathy. In other words, they lack the social skills required to put themselves in another person’s place, to recognize their impact and consider the feelings of others.
Bullies often share some common characteristics. They are most often focused on themselves and try to intimidate other people. In general, they have poor social skills and questionable judgment. They seem to have no empathy or interest in other people’s feelings.
Most bullies think they are cool and in control but others put people down to make themselves feel good because they are insecure. When your child is faced with a bully, the following are some behaviors that can help:
  • Practice being confident: ways to you can practice ways to respond to a bully verbally or through your behavior both by yourself and with a friend or a parent. The most effective thing you can do is to practice feeling good about you, about being confident about who you are.
  • Talk about it: if you are being bullied it can help to talk to a parent, a teacher, or a friend about your feelings and frustrations. It’s always a good idea to ask for help when you feel insecure or threatened.
  • Don’t get angry, walk away: When someone is bullying you it’s tempting to get angry and fight back. But if you don’t respond and walk away, sooner or later they will probably get tired of harassing you. Be confident and walk away proudly. Body language like this sends them a message that you’re not vulnerable.
If you know, or suspect, that your child is being bullied, you can help them to build the confidence to walk away and learn to deal with the situation appropriately. Martial arts training can help them to develop the necessary skills to stand up to bullying with self confidence and a thoughtful response.
Child Safety, Misbehavior, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Private Play That Can Prevent Public Misbehavior

Does your kid ever act-out in public? Does he or she have a special need, learning disability, or developmental disability? Young children with communications barriers, like autism or a hearing impairment, may act-out to communicate an unmet need. When a child can’t simply tell us verbally that they are tired, cold, hungry, scared, bored or lonely, they will find another way. The other way can mean misbehavior — screaming, darting around, and sometimes even slapping or biting.

Play is like a basic human need, just like food, water, or shelter. If a basic need is unfulfilled, there are consequences. Sometimes that unfulfilled need is plain old boredom or loneliness. Experts in early childhood development, child psychologists, and child life specialists suggest that parents engage their children through play, as one way to manage misbehavior. I also know from the experts and personal experience, that engaging kids with autism or Asperger’s, by simply listening, paying attention, or just being actively present or playing can calm their behaviors as well.

The best memories of my own son’s childhood are the ones involving unstructured play with toys and other objects. We would just throw the toys out on the carpet and see what happened next. By manipulating their toys and other objects in their environment, children gain a sense of control and accomplishment, as the things around them seem to bend to their will.

Children constantly have to suffer limits and rules. Rules like, ‘you can’t wear your Sponge Bob pajamas to school.’ Everyday they are repeatedly told that they can’t do this and can’t do that. Constantly having to set limits is tiring for parents and it’s just as tiring for kids to test them. When we play with our kids they get to set the rules and limits, or at least they get to set most of them. Adults just need to keep everyone safe. Dump out a bag of simple toys and let the kids run the show! No rules about what to do with the trucks, dolls, and squishy balls. When kids are fussy or anxious, setting needless limits is the last thing you want to do. This is also very true for kids with developmental disabilities, like autism.

In future articles, we will present suggestions from experts like child life specialists and child psychologists, on strategies and tools (toys) we can have readily available to manage our kids with developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges at home and in public. We will also discuss how to help our developmentally challenged kids navigate in a world that often seems very foreign to them—the neurotypical world—our world.

Child Safety, Motivation, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Keeping Kids on Track

Everyone likes to be asked to do something, not always told to do so. The same goes for children.

At our schools, we tell our martial arts instructors that sometimes, in order to get the kids to practice on their own or to always use their best technique, they should try asking instead of commanding.

For example, we can say, “Johnny, can you do your kicks,” or we can scream, “JOHNNY! DO YOUR KICKS!” Both get the same result, but the first one is more pleasing to deal with.

Besides, if we constantly shout out orders, students begin to tune us out. It is always better to get kids to comply with a question we pose to them (“Do you want to be a belt someday? Let’s practice those kicks!”)

That’s not to say we don’t sometimes demand action. But we do mix it up, because constantly demanding is overbearing. We want students to realize that we want them to do their best – and that sometimes, we have to ask.

When we give them our best, they respond by giving us their best in return.